title: Carotid artery disease in patients with retinal artery occlusion.
abstract: Embolization from the carotid bifurcation has been proposed as the most common cause of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). The purpose of this study was to evaluate carotid artery disease in patients with CRAO and BRAO. Using carotid ultrasonography, 17 patients (13 males, 4 females, mean age 68.7 +/- 7.1 years) with CRAO and BRAO were examined for stenotic findings and plaque morphology (homogeneous or heterogeneous) within 7 days after onset. The internal carotid artery (ICA) ipsilateral to the affected side showed a significantly higher incidence of severe carotid stenosis as compared to the non-affected side. The occurrence of heterogeneous plaques in the ICA did not differ between the affected and the non-important affected side. We suspect that severe carotid stenosis in addition to heterogeneous plaques plays an important role in retinal artery occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Disease, Kumamoto City Hospital.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography