title: Screening for significant carotid artery disease among a cohort of 1,000 Egyptian patients.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of significant carotid artery disease (SCAD) in a cohort of Egyptian patients to compare it with matched groups of patients in published data of Western populations. One thousand consecutive patients referred for color flow duplex scanning of the carotid arteries were included. SCAD was defined as carotid stenosis > or = 50% or occlusion. There were 567 males (56.7%), and the mean age was 60.4 years. There were 382 (38.2%) patients presenting with and 617 (61.7%) patients without specific carotid territory symptoms. SCAD was significantly more prevalent in patients aged > or = 60 (13.2%, vs 6.25%; p < .001), in symptomatic patients (16.45% vs 6.32%; p < .001), in diabetics (15.96% vs 7.39%; p < .001), in patients with ischemic heart disease (17.65% vs 7.22%; p < .001), in hypertensive patients (12% vs 7.54%; p = .025), and in patients with dyslipidemia (12.53% vs 6.56%; p < .025). The prevalence of SCAD in this cohort of Egyptian patients was similar to that of matched patients of Western populations. Screening for SCAD in patients with specific carotid territory symptoms is recommended. Screening of asymptomatic subjects could be considered if they are > or = 60 years of age and have three or more associated risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, ElSahel Teaching Hospital, Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt. rashadbishara@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rashad A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bishara
authors.forename: Wassila
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Mohamed Omar
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Alfarouk
authors.forename: Ihab A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Milik
authors.forename: Nagwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex