Carotid Artery Disease - Left vs Right

Stroke is a common cause of adult disability and the third cause of death in Western European countries. Carotid disease is a well-known risk factor for ischemic stroke, and this relationship is established. However, only a minority of the population with atherosclerosis will have a stroke.

The aim of these paper is to establish the relation between carotid atherosclerosis and first ischemic stroke. We performed an observational study, including 159 patients with carotid atherosclerosis. Our patients were examined with carotid ultrasound examination and cranio-cerebral computed tomography. We excluded patient with other cause of cerebral ischemia such atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, arterial dissection, vasculopathy, neoplasia. We also excluded any kind of transient cerebral ischemia, because of heterogeneity and poor medical documentation.

Despite our efforts to treat this condition, carotid disease remains a powerful risk factor for ischemic stroke.