The features of carotid artery lesions evaluated by carotid ultrasonography and 3D-CT angiography in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated carotid artery lesions in patients with acute ischemic stroke at the hospitals participating in the registration of stroke patients of the Yamagata Society in Treatment for Cerebral Stroke (YSTCS). Methods: From June 2005 to December 2006, 510 consecutive patients who underwent evaluation of carotid artery lesions by carotid ultrasonography and 3D-CT angiography within 2 weeks of the onset were enrolled in this study. Results: Forty-eight of 510 (9.4%) patients presented with a stenosis of 50% or more and 32/510 (6.3%) presented with a stenosis of 70% or more, of the neck internal carotid artery. The common carotid artery (CCA) mean intima-media thickness (IMT) in each stroke subtypes was 1.09 ± 0.51 mm in atherothrombotic infarction, 1.06 ± 0.42 mm in cardioembolic infarction, and 1.03 ± 0.39 mm in lacunar infarction, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age (odds ratio: 1.029) and total cholesterol/HDL value ratio (odds ratio: 1.450) were significantly associated with a CCA mean-IMT of 1.1 mm or more. Conclusions: We reveal the feature of carotid artery lesions in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The CCA mean-IMT tends to be raised significantly in atherothrombotic infarction.