Definition of common carotid wall thickness affects risk classification in relation to degree of internal carotid artery stenosis: the Plaque At RISK (PARISK) study.

BACKGROUND: Mean or maximal intima-media thickness (IMT) is commonly used as surrogate endpoint in intervention studies. However, the effect of normalization by surrounding or median IMT or by diameter is unknown. In addition, it is unclear whether IMT inhomogeneity is a useful predictor beyond common wall parameters like maximal wall thickness, either absolute or normalized to IMT or lumen size. We investigated the interrelationship of common carotid artery (CCA) thickness parameters and their association with the ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis degree. METHODS: CCA thickness parameters were extracted by edge detection applied to ultrasound B-mode recordings of 240 patients. Degree of ICA stenosis was determined from CT angiography. RESULTS: Normalization of maximal CCA wall thickness to median IMT leads to large variations. Higher CCA thickness parameter values are associated with a higher degree of ipsilateral ICA stenosis (p < 0.001), though IMT inhomogeneity does not provide extra information. When the ratio of wall thickness and diameter instead of absolute maximal wall thickness is used as risk marker for having moderate ipsilateral ICA stenosis (>50%), 55 arteries (15%) are reclassified to another risk category. CONCLUSIONS: It is more reasonable to normalize maximal wall thickness to end-diastolic diameter rather than to IMT, affecting risk classification and suggesting modification of the Mannheim criteria. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials.gov NCT01208025 .

Reimbursement Policies for Carotid Duplex Ultrasound that are Based on International Classification of Diseases Codes May Discourage Testing in High-Yield Groups.

BACKGROUND: To curb increasing volumes of diagnostic imaging and costs, reimbursement for carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) is dependent on "appropriate" indications as documented by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes entered by ordering physicians. Historically, asymptomatic indications for CDU yield lower rates of abnormal results than symptomatic indications, and consensus documents agree that most asymptomatic indications for CDU are inappropriate. In our vascular laboratory, we perceived an increased rate of incorrect or inappropriate ICD codes. We therefore sought to determine if ICD codes were useful in predicting the frequency of abnormal CDU. We hypothesized that asymptomatic or nonspecific ICD codes would yield a lower rate of abnormal CDU than symptomatic codes, validating efforts to limit reimbursement in asymptomatic, low-yield groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed all outpatient CDU done in 2011 at our institution. ICD codes were recorded, and each medical record was then reviewed by a vascular surgeon to determine if the assigned ICD code appropriately reflected the clinical scenario. CDU findings categorized as abnormal (>50% stenosis) or normal (<50% stenosis) were recorded. Each individual ICD code and group 1 (asymptomatic), group 2 (nonhemispheric symptoms), group 3 (hemispheric symptoms), group 4 (preoperative cardiovascular examination), and group 5 (nonspecific) ICD codes were analyzed for correlation with CDU results. RESULTS: Nine hundred ninety-four patients had 74 primary ICD codes listed as indications for CDU. Of assigned ICD codes, 17.4% were deemed inaccurate. Overall, 14.8% of CDU were abnormal. Of the 13 highest frequency ICD codes, only 433.10, an asymptomatic code, was associated with abnormal CDU. Four symptomatic codes were associated with normal CDU; none of the other high frequency codes were associated with CDU result. Patients in group 1 (asymptomatic) were significantly more likely to have an abnormal CDU compared to each of the other groups (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.020, P = 0.002) and to all other groups combined (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic indications by ICD codes yielded higher rates of abnormal CDU than symptomatic indications. This finding is inconsistent with clinical experience and historical data, and we suggest that inaccurate coding may play a role. Limiting reimbursement for CDU in low-yield groups is reasonable. However, reimbursement policies based on ICD coding, for example, limiting payment for asymptomatic ICD codes, may impede use of CDU in high-yield patient groups.

[Diagnostic value of carotid atherosclerosis score for ischemic stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the diagnostic value of carotid atherosclerosis score for ischemic stroke. METHODS: In the study, 151 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled, who were diagnosed by cranial CT scan or cranial MRI scan, and examined with carotid duplex ultrasound, and 151 healthy check-up cases matched by age and sex were chosen as control group, who were excluded ischemic stroke by cranial CT scan or cranial MRI scan. All the control cases were examined with carotid duplex ultrasound also. Intima-media thickness (IMT), the number of carotid plaques, the size of each plaque, the location of the plaque and each plaque's echo, texture, surface regularity were estimated by carotid duplex ultrasound. RESULTS: The IMT of the case group and the control group were (0.946±0.185) mm and (0.863±0.148) mm, and there were significant differences (P<0.001); The parameters of arterial plaque correlated with ischemic stroke were plaque's echo, texture and surface regularity, however the plaque size and location were not correlated with ischemic stroke. The median and quartile of carotid artery plaque score were 3 and 2 respectively in case group, 1 and 2 respectively in control group, and there were significant differences (P<0.001); The parameters of carotid arterial atherosclerosis associated with ischemic stroke were carotid artery plaque score,carotid stenosis degree and IMT, but not the number of carotid plaques. The median and quartile of carotid arterial atherosclerosis score were 5 and 4 respectively in case group, 2 and 4 respectively in control group, and there were significant differences (P<0.001); The area under the curve (AUC) for IMT, the number of carotid plaques, carotid artery plaque score and carotid arterial atherosclerosis score were 0.679, 0.677, 0.704 and 0.805,respectively (P<0.001). The accuracy of carotid atherosclerosis score was the highest. CONCLUSION: Carotid artery plaque score and carotid atherosclerosis score can be used for the diagnosis of ischemic stroke, and the accuracy of carotid atherosclerosis score is higher.

Carotid Plaque Morphological Classification Compared With Biomechanical Cap Stress: Implications for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Assessment.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Two approaches to target plaque vulnerability-a histopathologic classification scheme and a biomechanical analysis-were compared and the implications for noninvasive risk stratification of carotid plaques using magnetic resonance imaging were assessed. METHODS: Seventy-five histological plaque cross sections were obtained from carotid endarterectomy specimens from 34 patients (>70% stenosis) and subjected to both a Virmani histopathologic classification (thin fibrous cap atheroma with <0.2-mm cap thickness, presumed vulnerable) and a peak cap stress computation (<140 kPa: presumed stable; >300 kPa: presumed vulnerable). To demonstrate the implications for noninvasive plaque assessment, numeric simulations of a typical carotid magnetic resonance imaging protocol were performed (0.62×0.62 mm(2) in-plane acquired voxel size) and used to obtain the magnetic resonance imaging-based peak cap stress. RESULTS: Peak cap stress was generally associated with histological classification. However, only 16 of 25 plaque cross sections could be labeled as high-risk (peak cap stress>300 kPa and classified as a thin fibrous cap atheroma). Twenty-eight of 50 plaque cross sections could be labeled as low-risk (a peak cap stress<140 kPa and not a thin fibrous cap atheroma), leading to a κ=0.39. 31 plaques (41%) had a disagreement between both classifications. Because of the limited magnetic resonance imaging voxel size with regard to cap thickness, a noninvasive identification of only a group of low-risk, thick-cap plaques was reliable. CONCLUSIONS: Instead of trying to target only vulnerable plaques, a more reliable noninvasive identification of a select group of stable plaques with a thick cap and low stress might be a more fruitful approach to start reducing surgical interventions on carotid plaques.

Repeatability of in vivo quantification of atherosclerotic carotid artery plaque components by supervised multispectral classification.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the agreement and scan-rescan repeatability of automated and manual plaque segmentation for the quantification of in vivo carotid artery plaque components from multi-contrast MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with 30-70% stenosis underwent two 3T MR carotid vessel wall exams within a 1 month interval. T1w, T2w, PDw and TOF images were acquired around the region of maximum vessel narrowing. Manual delineation of the vessel wall and plaque components (lipid, calcification, loose matrix) by an experienced observer provided the reference standard for training and evaluation of an automated plaque classifier. Areas of different plaque components and fibrous tissue were quantified and compared between segmentation methods and scan sessions. RESULTS: In total, 304 slices from 23 patients were included in the segmentation experiment, in which 144 aligned slice pairs were available for repeatability analysis. The correlation between manual and automated segmented areas was 0.35 for lipid, 0.66 for calcification, 0.50 for loose matrix and 0.82 for fibrous tissue. For the comparison between scan sessions, the coefficient of repeatability of area measurement obtained by automated segmentation was lower than by manual delineation for lipid (9.9 vs. 17.1 mm(2)), loose matrix (13.8 vs. 21.2 mm(2)) and fibrous tissue (24.6 vs. 35.0 mm(2)), and was similar for calcification (20.0 vs. 17.6 mm(2)). CONCLUSION: Application of an automated classifier for segmentation of carotid vessel wall plaque components from in vivo MRI results in improved scan-rescan repeatability compared to manual analysis.

The Revised Sonographic NASCET Index: A New Hemodynamic Parameter for the Assessment of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis.

PURPOSE: A previously described Doppler parameter, the sonographic NASCET index (SNI), was derived to be more directly analogous to the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) methodology for assessing carotid artery stenosis. However, this index does not account for complex changes affecting the Doppler waveform. We propose a revised SNI (rSNI) in an effort to improve predicting carotid stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 carotid bifurcations with stenoses ranging from 40 - 92 % were analyzed. For each vessel, the rSNI and original SNI were calculated. The peak systolic velocity (PSV), rSNI, and original SNI were correlated with angiography using linear regression analysis and relative accuracies were compared at two thresholds. RESULTS: A correlation between rSNI and angiography was found to be significantly better than that between PSV or internal carotid artery-common carotid artery (ICA-CCA) peak velocity ratio and angiography (r² = 0.47 vs. 0.22; r² = 0.47 vs. 0.16). The accuracy of PSV in predicting high-grade stenosis was 68% and 72%, compared with 80% and 88% for rSNI, at each of two thresholds. The original SNI better correlated with angiography compared to the rSNI (r² = 0.55 vs. 0.47), but with slightly lower accuracy in predicting high-grade stenosis (76% vs. 80%). CONCLUSION: The revised SNI correlates more closely with angiographic stenosis than either the PSV or the ICA-CCA ratio, and is more accurate in predicting high-grade stenosis. However, it is overall comparable to the original SNI, suggesting that the previously unaccounted for effects over the remainder of the cardiac cycle do not significantly improve the ability to sonographically predict significant stenosis.

Automatic active contour-based segmentation and classification of carotid artery ultrasound images.

In this paper, we present automatic image segmentation and classification technique for carotid artery ultrasound images based on active contour approach. For early detection of the plaque in carotid artery to avoid serious brain strokes, active contour-based techniques have been applied successfully to segment out the carotid artery ultrasound images. Further, ultrasound images might be affected due to rotation, scaling, or translational factors during acquisition process. Keeping in view these facts, image alignment is used as a preprocessing step to align the carotid artery ultrasound images. In our experimental study, we exploit intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement to detect the presence of plaque in the artery. Support vector machine (SVM) classification is employed using these segmented images to distinguish the normal and diseased artery images. IMT measurement is used to form the feature vector. Our proposed approach segments the carotid artery images in an automatic way and further classifies them using SVM. Experimental results show the learning capability of SVM classifier and validate the usefulness of our proposed approach. Further, the proposed approach needs minimum interaction from a user for an early detection of plaque in carotid artery. Regarding the usefulness of the proposed approach in healthcare, it can be effectively used in remote areas as a preliminary clinical step even in the absence of highly skilled radiologists.

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis: identification of subgroups with different underlying plaque characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal surgical treatment of patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) remains a matter of debate. Established definitions of ACAS include: (1) patients who never suffered from ipsilateral cerebrovascular events (group 1) or (2) patients who suffered from ipsilateral cerebrovascular events more than 6 months prior to revascularisation (group 2). Cerebrovascular symptoms are closely related to underlying carotid plaque composition and therefore we investigated potential plaque differences between these definition-based subgroups. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of a longitudinal prospective biobank study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Carotid atherosclerotic plaques from 264 asymptomatic patients were harvested during endarterectomy, and subjected to histopathological examination. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1: truly asymptomatic (n = 182), and group 2: patients with ipsilateral events more than 6 months before carotid endarterectomy (CEA) (n = 82). RESULTS: Patients in group 1 had relatively more stable plaque characteristics as compared with patients in group 2, with a higher median plaque smooth muscle cell content (2.1 (0.0-18.7) vs. 1.6 (0.0-14.4); P = 0.036), a higher proportion of heavily calcified plaques (67.7% (123/182) vs. 48.8% (40/82); P = 0.005) and less frequently intraplaque haemorrhages (11.5% (21/182) vs. 30.5% (25/82); P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Different plaque characteristics within subgroups of ACAS patients can be identified based on reported past ipsilateral events, which might result in adjusted future treatment strategies.

Is it important to classify ischaemic stroke?

Thirty-five percent of all ischemic events remain classified as cryptogenic. This study was conducted to ascertain the accuracy of diagnosis of ischaemic stroke based on information given in the medical notes. It was tested by applying the clinical information to the (TOAST) criteria. Hundred and five patients presented with acute stroke between Jan-Jun 2007. Data was collected on 90 patients. Male to female ratio was 39:51 with age range of 47-93 years. Sixty (67%) patients had total/partial anterior circulation stroke; 5 (5.6%) had a lacunar stroke and in 25 (28%) the mechanism of stroke could not be identified. Four (4.4%) patients with small vessel disease were anticoagulated; 5 (5.6%) with atrial fibrillation received antiplatelet therapy and 2 (2.2%) patients with atrial fibrillation underwent CEA. This study revealed deficiencies in the clinical assessment of patients and treatment was not tailored to the mechanism of stroke in some patients.

Multilevel Strip Pooling-Based Convolutional Neural Network for the Classification of Carotid Plaque Echogenicity.

Carotid plaque echogenicity in ultrasound images has been found to be closely correlated with the risk of stroke in atherosclerotic patients. The automatic and accurate classification of carotid plaque echogenicity is of great significance for clinically estimating the stability of carotid plaques and predicting cardiovascular events. Existing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can provide an automatic carotid plaque echogenicity classification; however, they require a fixed-size input image, while the carotid plaques are of varying sizes. Although cropping and scaling the input carotid plaque images is promising, it will cause content loss or distortion and hence reduce the classification accuracy. In this study, we redesign the spatial pyramid pooling (SPP) and propose multilevel strip pooling (MSP) for the automatic and accurate classification of carotid plaque echogenicity in the longitudinal section. The proposed MSP module can accept arbitrarily sized carotid plaques as input and capture a long-range informative context to improve the accuracy of classification. In our experiments, we implement an MSP-based CNN by using the visual geometry group (VGG) network as the backbone. A total of 1463 carotid plaques (335 echo-rich plaques, 405 intermediate plaques, and 723 echolucent plaques) were collected from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The 5-fold cross-validation results show that the proposed MSP-based VGGNet achieves a sensitivity of 92.1%, specificity of 95.6%, accuracy of 92.1%, and F1-score of 92.1%. These results demonstrate that our approach provides a way to enhance the applicability of CNN by enabling the acceptance of arbitrary input sizes and improving the classification accuracy of carotid plaque echogenicity, which has a great potential for an efficient and objective risk assessment of carotid plaques in the clinic.

Endovascular Recanalization of Symptomatic Nonacute Intracranial Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion: Proposal of a New Angiographic Classification.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The optimal treatment for symptomatic nonacute intracranial ICA occlusion is uncertain, and endovascular recanalization remains a technical challenge. Our purpose was to report multicenter clinical results of endovascular recanalization for medically refractory, nonacute, intracranial ICA occlusion and to propose a new angiographic classification to explore which subgroups of patients are most amenable to this treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2015 to December 2019, thirty-six consecutive patients who underwent endovascular recanalization for refractory, nonacute, atherosclerotic intracranial ICA occlusion at 3 stroke centers were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 3 types according to an angiographic classification. Rates of technical success, periprocedural complications, and any stroke or death within 30 days along with follow-up results were evaluated. RESULTS: The overall technical success rate was 80.6% (29/36), and the rate of any stroke or death within 30 days was 16.7% (6/36). The recanalization success rate gradually decreased from type I to type III in the 3 classification groups (92.9%, 81.3%, and 50%, P = .038), and the opposite was true of the perioperative complication rates (7.1%, 18.8%, and 50%, P = .038). Type I lesions showed favorable recanalization effects, 92.9% technical success rates, and 7.1% perioperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular recanalization for nonacute atherosclerotic intracranial ICA occlusion is technically feasible, especially in patients with type I lesions, and could offer an alternative option for patients with recurrent ischemic symptoms despite aggressive medical therapy. The angiographic classification proposed is conducive to the selection of suitable patients and difficulty in grading.

Symptomatic nonstenotic carotid disease: Evaluation of a proposed classification scheme in a prospective cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Unraveling symptomatic nonstenotic carotid disease (SyNC) as a stroke etiology from other cryptogenic stroke may have important implications for defining natural history and for tailoring secondary prevention strategies. We aim to describe the characteristics of the plaques in a prospectively-collected cohort of patients with non-invasive imaging suggesting symptomatic carotid stenosis but whose DSA demonstrated nonstenotic atheromatous disease, and to evaluate the recurrence rate depending on the type of SyNC. METHODS: We reviewed prospectively-collected data for patients presenting with new neurologic events and non-invasive imaging suggestive of moderate or severe (≥50%) carotid stenosis between July 2016 and October 2018. Patients were included in the present study if the degree of stenosis on DSA was < 50%. We assigned these patients into groups based on a previously-proposed working definition of SyNC, and analyzed the rate of recurrent stroke in the following 6 months. RESULTS: 28 patients had DSA-confirmed < 50% stenosis and constituted the study cohort. The median age was 73 years and 64% were male; median presenting NIHSS was 1 (IQR 0-3). The great majority (86%) of carotid plaques had high-risk features including ulcerated plaque (n = 21, 75%) and plaque > 3 mm thick (n = 18, 64%). 17 of 28 patients (61%) met classification criteria for "definite" or "probable" SyNC. Three of five patients in the "definite SyNC" group experienced recurrent neurologic events. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with non-invasive imaging suggesting carotid stenosis harbor symptomatic carotid disease per current classifications despite DSA stenosis < 50%. Current classification schema may allow for risk stratification of SyNC patients and these findings warrant further study.

Association between C-reactive protein and carotid plaque in mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

An association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and carotid plaque has never been investigated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of carotid atherosclerosis in mild-to-moderate IPF and to assess its relationship to serum CRP. This observational retrospective case-control study included 60 consecutive IPF patients (73.8 ± 6.6 years, 45 males) and 60 matched controls, examined between Sep 2017 and Jan 2019. All patients underwent CRP assessment and a carotid Doppler ultrasonography. CRP levels were significantly higher in IPF patients than controls (0.2 ± 0.09 mg/dl vs 0.09 ± 0.04 mg/dl, p < 0.0001). A total of 46 plaques were detected, with higher prevalence in IPF patients than controls (38 vs 8, p < 0.0001). On univariate logistic regression the main variables independently associated with carotid plaque were: age (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.16, p = 0.006), hypertension duration (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p = 0.01), diabetes duration (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18, p = 0.03), LDL-cholesterol (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10, p < 0.0001) and finally CRP levels (HR 1.73, 95% CI 0.59-5.00, p < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LDL-cholesterol (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.08, p = 0.009) and CRP levels (HR 1.43, 95% CI 0.39-5.19, p < 0.0001) retained statistical significance. Common carotid artery-intima media thickness was significantly correlated with CRP levels in IPF patients (r = 0.86). SerumCRP might represent both an early marker and a potential therapeutic target for carotid atherosclerosis in mild-to-moderate IPF.

Is hemicrania continua a single entity or the association of two headache forms? Considerations from a case report.

Hemicrania continua (HC) belongs to the group of primary headaches and it is characterized by a strictly unilateral, continuous headache of moderate intensity, with superimposed exacerbations of severe intensity that are accompanied by trigeminal autonomic features. The syndrome is completely responsive to indomethacin. Here we report a case of a 49-year-old man with HC, which may be viewed as a combination of different types of headache, ie, chronic tension-type headache and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia. The analysis of this case raises interesting issues regarding the proper place of HC among the primary headache forms.

[Revision of DEGUM ultrasound criteria for grading internal carotid artery stenoses and transfer to NASCET measurement]. / Ultraschallkriterien zur Graduierung von Stenosen der A. carotis interna - Revision der DEGUM-Kriterien und Transfer in NASCET-Stenosierungsgrade.

Since 1986, German ultrasound criteria for grading carotid stenosis have followed the local diameter reduction percentage consistent with the definition used in the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) definition. To overcome the confusion caused by the coexisting grading method used in the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET), a German interdisciplinary council on carotid artery stenosis has recommended the implementation of the NASCET grading system (distal diameter reduction percentage) as the standard. The multi-parametric German "DEGUM ultrasound criteria" consisting of combined Doppler and imaging criteria have consequently been revised and transferred to the NASCET definition. In addition, a novel differentiation between main (primary) and additional (secondary) criteria has been proposed. When these ultrasound criteria are combined, vascular sonography allows reliable grading of carotid disease.

[Procedures on internal carotid performed under locoregional anesthesia in the Plzen Surgical Clinic, over a seven-year period. A discussion on AHA and ESVS guidelines]. / Operace na vnitrrních karotidách v lokoregionální anestezii na chirurgické klinice v Plzni za uplynulých 7 let. Diskuse nad AHA a ESVS guidelines.

During a seven-year period (2002-2008), 830 patients underwent internal carotid surgery in the Plzen Surgical Clinic. The mean age of the patients was 68 y.o.a. (range 48-86 years). A total of 916 internal carotid procedures were performed, the male/female ratio was 667/249. 639 procedures were performed for asymptomatic and 277 for symptomatic conditions. 677 patients suffered from unilateral carotid disorders and 153 subjects from bilateral carotid disorders. All the procedures were performed under locoregional anesthesia. The 30-day mortality rate was 1% (9 subjects) of all the procedures.

Atherosclerotic plaque surface morphology in the carotid bifurcation assessed with multidetector computed tomography angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Complicated (irregular or ulcerated) carotid plaques have proven to be independent predictors of stroke. We analyzed the frequency and location of plaque irregularities in a large cohort of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease and the relation with severity of stenosis, cardiovascular risk factors, and symptomatology. METHODS: Multidetector CT angiography images from 406 patients were evaluated. Plaque surface morphology was classified as smooth, irregular, or ulcerated. The location of the ulceration was defined as proximal or distal to the point of maximum stenosis. RESULTS: Atherosclerotic plaques with an open lumen were present in 448 carotid arteries; these plaques were classified as: smooth, 276 (62%); irregular, 99 (22%); and ulcerated, 73 (16%). Sixty-two (69%) of the ulcerations were located proximal to the point of maximum luminal stenosis. Complicated plaques were significantly (P<0.001) more common in carotid arteries with stenosis >30% than in those with stenosis <30%. There is an association between complicated plaques and hypercholesterolemia (OR, 3.0) and a trend toward an association with smoking (OR, 1.9). Complicated plaques are more often present in the symptomatic carotid artery than in the contralateral asymptomatic carotid artery; however, this is fully attributed to a significantly higher degree of stenosis in the symptomatic arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Multidetector CT angiography allows the classification of atherosclerotic carotid plaque surface. Complicated plaques are frequent in atherosclerotic carotid disease, especially with higher stenosis degree. Ulcerations are mostly located in the proximal part of the atherosclerotic plaque. Hypercholesterolemia and smoking are related with the presence of complicated plaques.

Atherosclerotic carotid vulnerable plaque and subsequent stroke: a high-resolution MRI study.

BACKGROUND: High-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) has been proven to be an effective tool for the identification of carotid atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque, such as a large lipid core and thin fibrous cap. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between carotid plaque characteristics and the types of stroke in patients who had carotid artery (CA) stenosis > or =50%. METHODS: 102 consecutive subjects (mean age 67.2 +/- 10.2 years; 73 males) who initially had ischemic stroke or asymptomatic CA stenosis from 50 to 100% diagnosed by ultrasound were included in this study. Carotid CEMRI, brain MRI and magnetic resonance angiography were performed to understand the infarct patterns and to exclude intracranial artery stenosis. The modified American Heart Association (AHA) plaque classification was used in our study. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated that 45 patients had CA stroke, and 55 patients had lacunar and asymptomatic lesions. The majority of patients had AHA classification type IV-V and VI which presented as vulnerable plaques. Of 63 patients with mild to moderate stenosis (< or =70%), 44 (69.8%) had type IV-V vulnerable plaques, which was significantly higher than those of patients with severe stenosis (>70%; p < 0.001). In CA stroke, the number of patients with a thin or ruptured fibrous cap was twice that of those with a thick and intact fibrous cap. CONCLUSIONS: CEMRI may have important applications in clinical risk evaluations in CA atherosclerosis. Physicians ought to recognize that different types of stroke should be identified by brain MRI detection before invasive therapies.

[Carotid stenosis: is the distinction between "symptomatic" and "asymptomatic" obsolete?]. / Karotisstenose: Ist die Unterteilung in symptomatisch und asymptomatisch obsolet?

Carotid stenosis is common, especially among patients with vascular risk factors. The usual distinction between "symptomatic" and "asymptomatic" corresponds to older studies on the surgical vs. conservative treatment and to newer studies on interventional treatment (angioplasty with/without stent vs. surgery). However, both forms only describe different stages of activity of the same disease. They are markers of a systemic atherosclerosis, which results in a high risk of cardiovascular events in particular. All patients with carotid stenosis profit from regular clinical and duplexsonographic follow-up-studies of the brain arteries, cardiovascular assessment and good control of all vascular risk factors. Patients with carotid stenosis may profit from carotid intervention, if this takes place shortly after onset of associated cerebral ischemia and/or if there is a favorable benefit-risk ratio.

Bradycardia and Asystole in Patients Undergoing Symptomatic Chronically Occluded Internal Carotid Artery Recanalization.

BACKGROUND: Reports have emerged describing the successful endovascular recanalization of the chronically occluded internal carotid artery (COICA). The impact this restoration of flow has on the sensitive carotid sinus baroreceptors has not been previously described. In this manuscript, we present the largest COICA surgical series to date, with a specific focus on perioperative heart rate abnormalities. METHODS: Patient demographics were obtained, and the COICAs were radiographically classified based on the anatomic distribution of the stenosis and collateral flow. Thirty-six patients had a total of 37 COICA revascularization procedures. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients had intraprocedural bradycardia during balloon angioplasty. Three patients went into transient asystole during the procedure, and 2 of these patients had symptomatic bradycardia with ischemic cerebral changes, 1 of which required permanent pacemaking. All other patients had immediate resolution of their bradycardia, asystole, and neurologic symptoms immediately following balloon deflation and pharmaceutical management. There was a statistically significant difference in the observed proportion of bradycardic patients among COICA classifications (P = 0.014). There was no statistically significant difference in mean age between patients with bradycardia and those without (aged 63.36 vs. 67.71 years, P = 0.2265). CONCLUSIONS: Bradycardia associated with angioplasty of the carotid bulb was observed in the majority of patients receiving COICA revascularization. A small percentage of these patients were symptomatic. Our results suggest that carotid sinus baroreceptors remain active while residing in a complete arterial occlusion, and close monitoring is necessary during balloon angioplasty of the proximal COICA.