Status of carotid artery atherosclerosis among the ischemic stroke patients
Abstract
Background: Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a widespread pathological condition and one of the most significant risk factors for the development of ischemic stroke. The risk of ischemic stroke increases with the increase in the degree of carotid artery atherosclerosis. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the status of carotid artery atherosclerosis among ischemic stroke patients. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neurology of Sir Salimullah Medical College & Mitford Hospital (MH), Dhaka, Bangladesh for one year. In total 70 ischemic stroke patients were selected as the study subjects according to the selection criteria. Written informed consents were taken from all the study subjects. Data were analyzed using statistical program SPSS 20.0. Results: Among stroke patients, 62.9% had carotid stenosis. Among stroke patients 34.3% had mild, 15.7% had moderate and 12.9% had severe carotid stenosis. The degree of stenosis of carotid arteries increased with increasing of age. Most common associated risk factor was DM (64.3%) followed by HTN (45.7%), smoking (37.5%), and dyslipidemia (30.0%). Obesity was observed in 13 (18.6%) cases, MI in 11 (15.7%) cases, CKD in 4 (5.7%) cases and electrolyte imbalance in 3 (4.3%) cases. Majority of the plaques were found in the carotid bulbs (32.3%), followed by common carotid artery (29.0%), internal carotid artery (22.6%), and common carotid artery bifurcation (12.9%) and external carotid artery (3.2%). The majority of the plaques were homogenous (59.7%) followed by heterogenous (17.7%), calcified (17.7%) and ulcerated (4.8%) plaques. Conclusion: Carotid artery stenosis is common in ischemic stroke patients. Diabetes mellitus, HTN and smoking are the most common risk factors in ischemic stroke patients. The majority of the plaques are found in carotid bulb and most of the plaques are usually homogenous.
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References
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