Carotid endarterectomy in patients with acute neurological symptoms: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate our experience in urgent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with acute neurological symptoms comparing them with results obtained in stable symptomatic patients in a case-control study.


METHODS
From January 1996 to December 2005, 3336 consecutive CEAs were performed at our department. In 70 cases CEA was carried out in patients with acute neurological deficit; in all these patients, clinical presentations were recent (<24 h) or crescendo (defined as two or more episodes in 24 h, with complete recovery after each episode) TIAs (group 1). The control group was randomly obtained from our historical database and consisted of 352 stable symptomatic patients operated on in the same period (group 2). Early (30-day) results in the two groups were compared by chi(2) and Fisher exact tests; follow-up data were analysed by life-table analysis (Kaplan-Meier test) and results in subgroups were compared by means of log-rank test.


RESULTS
Considering mortality and any neurological morbidity, the patients of group 1 showed a cumulative rate of death and neurological complication significantly higher than those in group 2 (5.4% and 0.3%, respectively; P=0.005); however, when analysing 30-day disabling strokes and deaths, the patients of group 1 had a cumulative complication rate of 1.4%, whereas in group 2 the corresponding figure was 0.3% (P=n.s.). In patients of group 1, univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis for 30-day risk of stroke and death did not show any influence of comorbidities, clinical status, anatomical and surgical features. Estimated cumulative 36-month survival was significantly better in group 2 than in group 1. Considering the absence of ipsilateral stroke at 36 months, there were no differences between the two groups; however, analysing the estimated absence of any neurological events, both ipsilateral and contralateral, at 36 months, patients of group 1 had a higher risk than those of group 2.


CONCLUSIONS
Urgent CEA in patients with recent/crescendo TIA and appropriate carotid artery lesion, carries good early and long-term results, which, however, remain slightly poorer than those obtained in symptomatic patients with a stable neurological status.
Dorigo
Walter
W
Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134, Florence, Italy. dorigow@unifi.it
Pulli
Raffaele
R
Barbanti
Enrico
E
Azas
Leonidas
L
Troisi
Nicola
N
Pratesi
Giovanni
G
Alessiinnocenti
Alessandro
A
Pratesi
Carlo
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome