Distribution of carotid arterial lesions in Chinese patients with transient monocular blindness.
OBJECTIVE
Asian patients with cerebrovascular diseases have more intracranial atherosclerosis and less extracranial carotid artery stenosis compared with white patients. We systemically evaluated the distribution of carotid arterial lesions in Chinese patients with transient monocular blindness (TMB), which was rarely reported.


METHODS
We prospectively evaluated 105 consecutive patients with TMB. All of the patients received ocular and physical examinations, blood tests for coagulation function and autoimmune diseases, and ultrasonography of cervical and intracranial arteries. All of the carotid lesions were confirmed by magnetic resonance angiography or cerebral angiography.


RESULTS
Of the 36 (34.3%) patients with significant carotid stenosis (> or =50%), 16 (15.2%) had extracranial carotid stenosis; 17 (16.2%) had carotid siphon stenosis; and 3 (2.9%) had both. The duration, onset, and patterns of visual loss were not different between patients with and without carotid arterial lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
This study signified the importance of carotid siphon stenosis as a probable underlying etiology for TMB in Chinese patients.
Hsu
Hung-Yi
HY
Section of Neurology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yang
Fu-Yi
FY
Chao
A-Ching
AC
Chen
Yen-Yu
YY
Chung
Chih-Ping
CP
Sheng
Wen-Yung
WY
Hu
Han-Hwa
HH
D000368:Aged; D020757:Amaurosis Fugax / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004617:Embolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography