Carotid Atherosclerosis and Lacunar Stroke a Possible Association

Abstract

Stroke remain the third cause of death and a major cause of disability worldwide. Our modern time enemy, atherosclerosis, with his many faces, is strongly related with stroke and its major subtypes. Ischemic stroke account up to 80 percent of all stroke. As a subtype of ischemic stroke, lacunar infarcts remain an important concern. Aim of this study is to correlate carotid disease findings with lacunar stroke. We studied a group of 129 patients with carotid disease, and we established a possible relationship with lacunar stroke. Ultrasonography findings were correlated with the presence of lacunar stroke, confirmed by CT scan. Our study demonstrate that carotid plaques number could be a good predictor for lacunar stroke risk. External carotid plaques number is strongly correlate with lacunar stroke presence.