Retrospective Study of a Series of 512 Cases of Carotid Artery Ultrasonography

Background: Carotid ultrasound is useful examination for prevention and management of ischemic stroke and atherosclerosis linked with vascular risk factors. Age and gender are independent factors for stroke. Lacunar stroke is more attributed to chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus and alcohol abuse, while nonlacunar infarction to carotid artery stenosis and atrial fibrillation. Methods: A retrospective case review study of patients that performed carotid ultrasound in our unit. The sample of data was retrieved from in-hospital admitted patients and outpatients. Data are expressed in average mean value and standard deviation. Data analysis was performed using the statistical software for social science SPSS 15.0. Significance was considered the values of p < 0, 05. Among the cases under this study 110 cerebral nonlacunar infarction patients and 178 cerebral lacunar infarction patients who performed CT scanning and/or magnetic resonance imaging were examined for carotid artery stenosis and compare. Results: According the coefficient of correlation Pearson, there is a significant statistical connection between age and the grade of carotid artery stenosis (P = 0.001) Test of student for two independent samples there is a significant statistical distinction between genders with male dominance in CAS (t = 3.825, df = 510, P = 0.001). Correlation was found with the grade of carotid artery stenosis: sharp rise in CAS between 50 and 60 years old) with the highest risk for stenosis and ischemic stroke at the age 65 and 75 years old. After the coefficient of correlation Kendall, there is a significant correlation between grade of carotid artery stenosis and smoking (P = 0.001), CAS and HTA (P = 0.001), CAS and diabetes (P = 0.001), CAS and high cholesterol (P = 0.001). According to the coefficient of correlation Kendall, there is not a significant correlation between grade of carotid artery stenosis and alcohol consumption (N 512, P=0.03) An important statistical difference between carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques in nonlacunar (55%, SD 17.83) versus lacunar infarction (35%, SD 14.57) (p < 0,001) was observed. Conclusions: In patients with risk factors age between 40 and 60 years old is reasonable for screening with carotid ultrasound and follow up. There is a significant statistical distinction between genders with male dominance. Age, smoking, hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes are significant risk factor for CAS. Alcohol consumption has not significant correlation with grade of carotid artery stenosis. The carotid stenosis is more evident in nonlacunar compare to the lacunar cerebral infarction. This evidence is in favour that in lacunars stroke there is a distinct lacunar small cerebral arteriopathy relatively sparing medium sized carotid arteries