The relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction recurrence / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the clinical significance of carotid atherosclerosis and the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction recurrence.Methods Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed using doppler ultrasongraphy in 312 patients with cerebral infarction, the duration of following up was 12 to 18 months,and the characteristics of carotid atherosclersis was compared to patients with or without recurrence cerebral infarction.Results Of the 312 patients with cerebral infarction, 61 patients suffered from new cerebral infarction during following up period, the recurrence rate in patients with atherothrombotic brain infarction was higher than those with lacunar infarction, and the cerebral infarction recurrence usually occurred in the same side of initial stroke of the 57 patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis, 26 patients had a sufference of new infarction, of the 48 patients with high grade stenosis, 25 had a sufference of new cerebral infarction, of the 42 patients with ulcerated plaque, 23 had sufference of new cerebral infarction,showing a recurrence rate significantly higher than those patients with non carotid atherosclerosis or those with mild carotid atherosclerosis. The logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of carotid atheroslerosis , stenosis and ulcerated plaque were positively related to the cerebral infarction recurrence.Conclusions There is a positively relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction recuurrence, and the level of carotid atherosclerosis is a risk factor of cerebral infarction recurrence.It serves as a risk marker of cerebral infarction recurrence.