Correlation ties in cerebral atherosclerosis: results of ultrasound assessment of arterial morphological changes

Abstract

For revealing correlations between cerebral atherosclerosis anddifferent forms of concomitant pathology, the following groupsof patients were examined: arterial hypertension (n = 80), disordersof the autonomous nervous system (n = 212), endocrinepathology (n = 453), chronic liver diseases (n = 45), obesity(n = 35), syringomyelia (n = 97), cerebral atherosclerosis withoutcomcomitant pathology (n = 51), persons with status dysraphicus(n = 35), and healthy controls (n = 50). Duplex scanningof the brachiocephal arteries was used. The initial atheroscleroticlesions were revealed in 32,7% of cases, stenosis 50%in 33,9%, and stenosis 50% in 18,2%. We found significantreverse relationships between age at onset of cerebral atherosclerosisand arterial hypertension ( = 0.73), obesity ( = 0.70),syringomyelia ( = 0.90), status dysraphicus ( = 0.72), andliver disorders ( = 0.67). Correlations were revealed betweenatheroma evolution rate and presence of endocrine pathology(hormone levels in hypothyreosis), combination of cataract anddiabetes, severity of arterial hypertension, combination of arterialhypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, severity of statusdysraphicus and trophic disturbances in syringomyelia. Inpatients with anatomic disconnection of the Willis circle, bloodflow deficiency at the extracranial stenosis level occurred in thecase of 4050% stenosis, while in patients with normal collateralflows it occurred only in the case of 6070% stenosis.

Keywords

• сorrelation ties
• cerebral atherosclerosis
• ultrasound duplex scanning