title: Distribution of carotid arterial lesions in Chinese patients with transient monocular blindness.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Fu-Yi
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: A-Ching
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Yen-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Wen-Yung
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Han-Hwa
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: 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