[Neurosonological findings in the carotid artery in a sample of patients with lacunar infarction].
BACKGROUND
Carotid stenosis has been reported as being associated to lacunar infarcts (LI) with variable frequency, but the aetiopathogenic relation between them is still subject to some controversy.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to describe the prevalence of carotid disorders in a neurosonological study of a sample of patients with LI.


METHODS
We analysed the results of the neurosonological study conducted on patients with clinical-radiological criteria of LI who were admitted to our Stroke Unit during the period of study.


RESULTS
We studied 140 patients, and results were normal in only 42% of the cases. Stenosis > 50% was found in 10% of the cases and plaque without stenosis in 40.3% of the patients. In patients without plaque there was an increase in the tunica intima-media thickness in 7.2% of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
In most of the patients with LI there were anomalies in the study of the carotid performed using ultrasound scanning.
López-Hernández
N
N
Servicio de Neurología y Unidad de Ictus, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. nilohe@terra.es
García-Escrivà
A
A
Pampliega-Pérez
A
A
Alvarez-Saúco
M
M
Hernández-Lorido
R
R
Moltó-Jordà
J M
JM
Gracia-Fleta
F
F
Carneado-Ruiz
J
J
D000368:Aged; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color