[Prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with cerebrovascular occlusive disease].

BACKGROUND

Hispanics have a greater incidence of stroke and prevalence of intracranial atherosclerosis than whites.

AIM: To study the prevalence of extracranial atherosclerosis among patients admitted to a hospital with an ischemic stroke.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A prospective study in stroke patients admitted to a Neurology ward in a University Hospital. All were subjected to a CT scan, carotid duplex-Doppler ultrasonographic examination with Doppler measurement of blood flow velocity, permeability and plaques. Cardiac emboli were searched with transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography.

RESULTS

One hundred ten patients (39 women), aged 67.5 +/- 11.4 years old were studied. Stroke was atherothrombotic in 46 (41.8%), embolic in 30 (27.3%), lacunar in 27 (24.6%) and of other type in 7 (6.4%). Ninety two patients (84.4%) had high blood pressure, 38% had high cholesterol levels, 35% had a cardiac disease and 26% were smokers. Thirty five subjects (31.8%) had a normal carotid ultrasonography, 46 (41.8%) had mural plaques, 16 (14.5%) had multiple plaques without occlusion, 13 (11.8%) had a partial occlusion and 7 (6.4%) had a total occlusion. Logistic regression analysis disclosed no significant relationship between stroke types and carotid atherosclerosis. Age was the only significant predictor for carotid atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of severe carotid atherosclerosis in this group of stroke patients was less than expected.