[Prevalence of neurosonographic disturbances in chronic instability].
BACKGROUND
Dizziness is a common symptom at the outpatient clinic of family doctors. Its origin is usually multifactorial and its outcome is often benign. However, exists a tendency to relate the dizziness with a cerebrovascular disturbance. AIM. To determine if there are cerebrovascular disorders in patients with chronic dizziness using a non invasive technique.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted. It included 404 patients without limit of age. The patients were evaluated in a Neurology Outpatient Clinic, to select those patients with chronic instability. A neurosonographic exam was performed to all those selected patients. This exam included colour duplex of the cervical arteries and transcranial Doppler.


RESULTS
Up to 54 % of the patients who were included in the study had a normal carotid study. For the rest of the patients, the thickness intima-media was the most prevalent finding. At the vertebrobasilar system the study of the vertebral arteries was completely normal in 81.7% followed by the presence of microangiopathy in 12.1%. The basilar system was also normal in a high figure (78%) followed by the microangiopathy (17.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
The vascular disturbances in the vertebrobasilar system are an exceptional finding in patients with chronic instability.
García-Barragán
N
N
Laboratorio de Neurosonología y Unidad de Ictus, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, 03010 Alicante, España.
Hernández-Lorido
R
R
Sánchez-Pérez
R M
RM
Medrano
V
V
López-Hernández
N
N
García-Escrivá
A
A
Tellería-Díaz
A
A
Fernández-Concepción
O
O
Frutos-Alegría
M T
MT
Carneado-Ruiz
J
J
Moltó-Jordà
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012307:Risk Factors; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial