[Factors associated with the detection of carotid artery stenosis of different severity in ischemic stroke patients].
Objective. To study the factors associated with the detection of carotid artery (CA) stenosis of different severity in patients with ischemic stroke (IS). Material and methods. We studied 694 patients with IS. The assessment of brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) was performed using ultrasound duplex scanning. All patients were stratified into three groups by CA stenosis severity: group 1 included patients without stenosis or with mild CA stenosis (30%), group 2 - patients with moderate stenosis (30-49%) and group 3 - patients with ≥50% stenosis. The severity of neurological deficits was evaluated with the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), IS subtypes were defined according to the TOAST. Results. Patients with ≥50% stenosis were more likely to have atherothrombotic IS subtype, risk factors for stroke and pronounced "rough" neurological deficit compared to patients with mild, moderate stenosis or without it. Patients with moderate stenosis more often had cardioembolic IS subtype with mild neurological deficits, whereas the hemodynamic IS subtype with mild to moderate neurological deficits was defined in the group without stenosis. Conclusion. Detection of CA stenosis of different severity allows to identify IS patients with unfavorable prognosis and a high risk of concomitant coronary artery disease.