Association between Carotid Artery Occlusion and Ultrasonographic Plaque Type

Background: Internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is associated with acute stroke and carries significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine whether ultrasonographic carotid plaque type may be associated with ICA occlusion.Methods: Two hundred eleven patients (85% men, mean age 66.0 ± 9.5 years, 28.9% asymptomatic) with ICA occlusion were included in this case-control study. Ultrasonographic Gray-Weale plaque type (I–IV, echolucent to echogenic) characterization was obtained in both the occluded and the contralateral ICA. Univariate and conditional logistic regression analyses with 1:1 pair matching per artery were undertaken. Each contralateral carotid artery with stenosis was treated as control to the ipsilateral-occluded ICA of the same patient.Results: A total of 261 ICAs (61.9%) were recorded with type I–II plaque, of which 165 (63.2%) were among the occluded and 96 (36.8%) were among the contralateral ICAs with stenosis (P 

Source: Annals of Vascular Surgery - December 11, 2013 Category: Surgery Authors: Constantine N. Antonopoulos, George S. Sfyroeras, Konstantinos G. Moulakakis, Triantafillos G. Giannakopoulos, Ioannis Vassilopoulos, Anastasios Papapetrou, John Kakisis, Christos D. Liapis Tags: Clinical Research Source Type: research