Detecting the changes of cerebrovascular reserve capacity with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in patients with unilateral high-grade carotid stenosis before and after angioplasty and stenting / 中国脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the changes of cerebrovascular reserve capacity in patients with symptomatic unilateral high-grade carotid stenosis before and after angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Methods: The cerebrovascular reserve capability was evaluated with transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography for hypercapnia induced by breath holding, which affected the blood velocity in middle cerebral artery. The breath-holding index (BHI) in 15 symptomatic patients with unilateral severe carotid stenosis and 15 asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis and 10 normal controls were compared, and the changes of the BHI in 15 symptomatic patients with carotid stenosis before and after CAS were compared and analyzed. Results: The BHI of the stenotic side in symptomatic patients with unilateral carotid stenosis (0.5 ± 0.2) was significantly lower than that in asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis (0.9 ± 0.3, P 0.05). The BHI of the stenotic side in symptomatic patients with unilateral carotid stenosis improved significantly after CAS (1.1 ± 0.2, P 0.05). Conclusion: The significantly impaired cerebrovascular reserve capacity on the stenotic side in symptomatic patients with unilateral high-grade carotid stenosis was significantly improved after CAS.