Carotid artery occlusion: acute symptoms and long-term prognosis.
Fifty-nine patients with carotid artery occlusion diagnosed during 1968-1977 were studied. The presenting symptoms were ipsilateral TIA in 12 patients, stroke in 41, 9 of whom died in the acute phase, and TIA or stroke from other vascular territory in 6 patients. Thirty-nine percent of the patients had preceding TIA. At the time of follow up (mean 48 months), only 2 cases with TIA and 2 with stroke on the occluded side were found. Seven patients had recurrent symptoms from other vascular regions. Twelve patients died during follow up because of diseases unrelated to stroke. Thus the annual incidence of ipsilateral stroke (approximately 1%) and TIA (approximately 1%) was low. Anticoagulant treatment of 20 of the patients might have contributed to the low recurrence rate.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence