title: Leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis: evaluation with CT angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aim to determine the relationship between leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid-cerebral multislice computed tomography angiographies of 194 patients (mean age, 63.5 years) were retrospectively evaluated. Presence and severity of leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis were compared to each other. Carotid artery stenosis was defined by the criteria of the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial; leukoaraiosis was evaluated based on the European Task Force on Age-Related White Matter Changes criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of leukoaraiosis was 52%. The correlations between age and presence and severity of leukoaraiosis as well as the degree of carotid artery stenosis were significant. There was a significant relationship between the presence of leukoaraiosis and carotid artery stenosis; also, a positive correlation was found between the severity of the leukoaraiosis and the degree of carotid artery stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leukoaraiosis is more common among the elderly. Significant relationship between the severity of leukoaraiosis and the degree of carotid artery stenosis points out that leukoaraiosis may be an advanced stage of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yalvac Hospital, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Özkaynak
authors.forename: Mehmet Sedat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Durmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*