[Cervico-cerebral atheroma].

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in economically developed countries. The arteries most frequently affected are the aorta, coronary and cerebral arteries. Atherosclerosis only affects large and medium calibre arteries of the general circulation. The lesion involves the arterial intima. The two lesions usually described are lipid striae and atheromatous plaques. The lesions are heterogeneous and it is difficult to correlate them to each other. Atheromatous plaque may be complicated by several types of independent or combined lesions: stenosis of the arterial lumen, haemorrhage into the plaque, ulceration or calcification of the plaque, organisation of a thrombus, aneurysm formation. Lesions predominantly affect the extracranial arteries at the carotid bifurcation and the origin of the vertebral arteries and the cerebral arteries at the origin and termination of the internal carotid artery, the basilar trunk and carotid bulb. The causes of this disease are unknown at the present time. Only the risk factors can be controlled. Pathogenic hypotheses are still highly controversial.