Determinants of steno-occlusive carotid atherosclerotic lesion and occurrence of large ipsilateral atherothrombotic stroke

Abstract

Introduction: In patients with cerebral infarction, mortality in the first month is around 15% to 20%, depending on the location and size of the infarction. Objective: To determine the association between carotid atherosclerosis, exposure to atherothrombotic risk factors and the magnitude of atherothrombotic stroke of the carotid territory. Method: An observational, analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out on 63 patients with a diagnosis of recent atherothrombotic cerebral infarction, who underwent brain tomography and carotid Doppler ultrasound. Results: In the medium (63%) and large (66,7%) cerebral infarctions, the presence of 3 or more atherosclerotic plaques predominated in the ipsilateral carotid axis, also in the contralateral axis, 3 or more plaques were more frequently determined in large infarction (52,8%), while in medium infarcts the existence of 0 to 2 plaques in that axis prevailed (55,6%). The number of atherosclerotic plaques had a stronger association, with a risk of suffering stenosis ipsilateral to the stroke and a large cerebral infarction of 14,9 times compared to those not exposed; followed by ischemic heart disease (12,3 times). Conclusions: The number of atherosclerotic plaques in the ipsilateral carotid axis and their degree of stenosis, as well as suffering from ischemic heart disease, are associated with the occurrence of large atherothrombotic cerebral infarction.

Keywords

• infarto cerebral aterotrombótico
• tamaño
• cardiopatía isquémica
• cantidad de placas de ateromas
• territorio carotídeo
• ecografía doppler
• tomografía computarizada.