Open AccessCorrelation between aortic/carotid atherosclerotic plaques and cerebral infarction
Author(s) -
Baojun Wang,
Shaoli Sun,
Guorong Liu,
Yuechun Li,
Jiangxia Pang,
Jingfen Zhang,
Lijuan Yang,
Ruiming Li,
Hui Zhang,
Changchun Jiang,
Xiue Li
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
experimental and therapeutic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1792-1015
pISSN - 1792-0981
DOI - 10.3892/etm.2013.1129
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , stenosis , cerebral infarction , transcranial doppler , infarction , ultrasound , radiology , stroke (engine) , myocardial infarction , carotid arteries , incidence (geometry) , ischemia , mechanical engineering , physics , optics , engineering
The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between aortic/carotid atherosclerotic plaques and cerebral infarction. We examined 116 cases of cerebral infarction using transcranial Doppler ultrasound in order to exclude cerebrovascular stenosis. Transesophageal echocardiography and color Doppler ultrasound were used to detect aortic atherosclerotic plaques (AAPs) and carotid atherosclerotic plaques (CAPs). AAPs were detected in a total of 70 of the 116 cases (60.3%), including 56 with moderate/severe atherosclerotic changes (48.3%). The difference in the incidence of various types of infarction between APP severity levels was significant (P<0.01). Of the 116 cases, 64 had CAPs (55.2%), including 46 with unstable plaque (39.7%). The difference in the incidence of various types of infarction between CAP stability levels was significant (P<0.01). The results indicate that moderate/severe AAP and unstable CAP are significant causes of embolic infarction without stenosis in the internal carotid arteries.