Doppler ultrasound and supraorbital photoplethysmography for noninvasive screening of carotid occlusive disease

Doppler ultrasound and supraorbital photoplethysmography (PPG) were performed on 156 vessels of 76 consecutive patients undergoing contrast arteriography for suspected cerebrovascular disease. Each screening technic was approximately 95 per cent accurate in identifying or excluding significant (≥50 per cent) stenosis or occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid artery. Supraorbital PPG was slightly more sensitive but less specific than Doppler ultrasound. When the results of the two technics were in agreement, the diagnostic sensitivity was 100 per cent and the specificity 97 per cent in 139 vessels studied. Although noninvasive diagnostic technics are of limited value in symptomatic patients with cerebrovascular disease, a combination of Doppler ultrasound and supraorbital PPG is a simple, rapid, and accurate technic to screen asymptomatic or high risk patients for significant carotid occlusive disease.     

Limitations of noninvasive evaluation of carotid occlusive disease.

A series of 32 patients examined by two different noninvasive techniques in two different laboratories and by cerebral angiography were retrospectively studied. Significant differences in ophthalmic artery pressures as measured by oculopneumoplethysmography (OPPG), and significant delays in ocular pulse arrival time combined with characteristic recorded bruits as determined by oculoplethysmography/carotid phonoangiography (OPG/CPA) were considered as an index of carotid stenosis. Cerebral angiography was performed on all 32 patients to confirm or refute the diagnosis suggested by noninvasive testing. In this selected group of patients with difficult diagnostic problems, only 67% of significant (greater than 50% diameter) stenoses were detected by OPPG, and only 58% by OPG/CPA. Combining OPPG and OPG/CPA increased the probability of detecting a greater than 50% diameter stenosis to 92%.     

Association between plaque instability, angiogenesis and symptomatic carotid occlusive disease.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is a recognized feature of the atherosclerotic process and has been described in the context of unstable coronary atherosclerotic lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the association between angiogenesis in atherosclerotic carotid plaques and microscopic features of plaque instability, in particular intraplaque haemorrhage. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were included. Endarterectomy specimens were divided into their constituent atherosclerotic lesions. Histological sections were prepared and stained with haematoxylin and eosin, and immunohistochemically with an endothelial cell marker (CD34). The quantity of intraplaque haemorrhage was measured in transverse histological sections using computerized image analysis. Microvessel counts were performed in CD34-stained sections and were verified through computerized image analysis. RESULTS: Some 239 atherosclerotic lesions from 73 patients were available for analysis; 73 were early lesions, 74 were raised fibroatheromas and 92 were unstable atherosclerotic plaques. One hundred and fifty lesions were not haemorrhagic; 89 exhibited intraplaque haemorrhage, of which 28 involved less than 50 per cent of the plaque sectional area. There were higher microvessel counts in plaques containing over 50 per cent haemorrhage (P < 0.0001), unstable atherosclerotic lesions (P < 0.0001) and atherosclerotic lesions obtained from symptomatic patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There are strong associations between plaque vascularity, quantity of intraplaque haemorrhage and presence of symptomatic carotid occlusive disease.     

Ocular pneumoplethysmography: detection of carotid occlusive disease.

To determine the accuracy of ocular pneumoplethysmography (OPG-Gee) in detecting carotid arterial occlusive disease, 350 patients were tested by OPG-Gee. Sixty-three patients underwent angiography and the findings were correlated with the results of OPG-Gee tracings. Testing without carotid compression averaged three minutes and was easily performed by a physician or technician. There were no significant complications. Hypertension did not affect evaluation. There were two false-negative tests and no false-positive tests. Without carotid compression the overall accuracy for testing for significant arterial stenosis was 97%. When a carotid compression test was added, the two missed lesions were detected.     

腔内治疗颅外颈动脉闭塞性疾病的近期疗效

目的回顾性分析颈动脉成形加支架植入术（CAS）治疗颅外颈动脉闭塞性疾病（ECOD）的近期疗效。方法48条颈动脉接受了CAS。手术进路经股动脉穿刺完成。术后随访分2阶段：≤30d和〉30d。分析病死率和主要的并发症发生率。结果本组男性占91.7％;女性占8．3％,平均年龄（70．6±5.9）岁。术前无脑缺血症状占37．5％,有症状占62．5％。颈动脉内径平均狭窄程度（71．2±14．8）％。术前仅合并1种高危因素的为43．8％;2种或2种以上的47．9％。33．3％的患者对侧颈内动脉内径狭窄≥50％或完全闭塞。CAS的成功率为100％。术后无死亡及明显脑卒中发生。4．2％的患者发生了一过性脑缺血,18．8％的患者发生了颈动脉窦压迫综合征。30d后的随访中,有4．2％的患者出现了〉50％支架内再狭窄;无支架变形发生。结论CAS可用于治疗ECOD,特别对于那些合并有颈动脉内膜切除术高危因素的患者,具有安全、术后致残率和病死率低的优点。     

Neck irradiation: a risk factor for occlusive carotid artery disease.

OBJECTIVES: to determine whether irradiation is an independent risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis, and propose guidelines for patient follow-up. DESIGN: a retrospective case control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: two groups of patients with severe carotid artery stenosis (>70%) were compared: 30 post-neck irradiation patients, and a control group of 100 patients with no history of neck irradiation. Disease location and severity were assessed by duplex. The relationship between atherosclerotic risk factors, time since irradiation and carotid artery disease was examined. RESULTS: the average age of study group patients was 67 years (43-86) compared to 69 years (46-89) in the control group. The average interval from irradiation to diagnosis was 14 years (3-53) (median 12.5 years). The study group suffered less from diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease ( p<0.02). There were no significant differences among risk factors with respect to age, gender, smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Post-neck irradiation patients had a significantly higher prevalence of bilateral disease (p=0.02), and a higher rate of common carotid artery lesions (p<0.002). CONCLUSIONS: neck irradiation should be considered a risk factor for occlusive carotid artery disease. Preoperative angiographic study should be considered, due to frequent involvement of the common carotid artery.     

Oculopneumoplethysmography, Doppler examination, and supraorbital photoplethysmography: a comparison of hemodynamic techniques in assessing cerebrovascular occlusive disease.

There noninvasive techniques used in the evaluation of carotid occlusive disease were compared in the same population group. The cerebrovascular Doppler examination (CDE) had an accuracy rate of 89%, oculopneumoplethysmography (OPG-Gee) an accuracy rate of 94%, and supraorbital photoplethysmography (SOPPG) an accuracy rate of 86%. With the combined use of the CDE and the OPG-Gee, the accuracy rate increased to 96% when the results were concordant, and the false-negative rate dropped to 3%. The data would suggest that the combined use of the CDE and the OPG-Gee offers an advantage over either technique used individually.     

Cost of routine screening for carotid and lower extremity occlusive disease in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms

OBJECTIVE: The burden of clinically relevant noncoronary atherosclerotic occlusive disease in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is poorly defined. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness of routine versus selective preoperative noninvasive examination of the carotid and lower extremity arterial beds has not been established in patients who undergo elective AAA repair. METHODS: Diagnostic vascular laboratory study results were reviewed in 206 patients who underwent evaluation before AAA repair from 1994 to 1998. The patients underwent routine preoperative carotid duplex scan examinations and lower extremity Doppler scan arterial studies with ankle-brachial index (ABI) determinations. The medical records were reviewed for the identification of clinical evidence consistent with cerebrovascular or lower extremity arterial occlusive disease. The costs of routine screening and selective screening were determined with Medicare reimbursement schedules. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of advanced (80% to 100%) carotid artery stenosis (CAS) was 3.4%, and 18% of the patients had CAS between 60% and 100%. Advanced peripheral vascular occlusive disease (PVOD; ABI, <0.3) was found in 3% of the patients, and 12% of the patients had an ABI of less than 0.6. Most patients with advanced CAS (71%) or advanced PVOD (83%) had clinical indications of their disease. The absence of clinical evidence of disease had a negative predictive value of 99% for both advanced CAS and PVOD. The cost of routine screening for all patients for advanced CAS was $5445 per case. Routine screening for severe PVOD costs were $3732 per case discovered. In contrast, the costs for selective screening for advanced CAS or PVOD in patients with appropriate history or symptoms were $1258 and $785 per case found, respectively. CONCLUSION: Routine noninvasive diagnostic testing for the identification of asymptomatic CAS and PVOD in patients with AAA may not be justified. Preoperative screening is more clearly indicated for patients with AAAs who have clinical evidence suggestive of CAS or PVOD.     

Early results of carotid stent placement for treatment of extracranial carotid bifurcation occlusive disease

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the initial results of carotid artery angioplasty with stenting (CAS) performed by vascular surgeons to treat bifurcation occlusive disease. Most patients were selected for CAS if they had indications for endarterectomy (CEA) but were considered at high risk for surgery. METHODS: Since December 2000, 74 carotid arteries in 69 patients underwent CAS, with distal balloon embolization protection in 96%. Mean patient age was 72 years; 82% of patients were men. Indications for CAS included asymptomatic disease (62%), transient ischemic attack (TIA; 23%), and cerebrovascular accident (15%). Mean internal carotid artery diameter stenosis was 82%. CAS was chosen over CEA because of cardiac (49%) or pulmonary (4%) comorbid conditions, hostile neck (25%), distal extent of disease (6%), and contralateral cranial nerve injury (1%). CAS was performed in 15% patients who were good surgical candidates, because of patient preference. Pathologic conditions were primary atherosclerosis (81%), recurrent carotid stenosis (18%), and dissection (1%). Procedures were transfemoral in 95% of cases and transcarotid in 5%. In 30% of cases the contralateral carotid artery had 80% or greater stenosis or was completely occluded. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 96% of cases. There were no deaths, no major strokes, one minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, 3), and one TIA (neurologic event rate, 2.6%). The single minor stroke resolved completely by 1 month. One patient (1.3%) had a perioperative myocardial infarction. Transient neurologic changes occurred in 8% of patients during the protection balloon inflation, and all resolved with deflation. Bradyarrhythmia requiring pharmacologic treatment occurred in 14% of patients. At mean follow-up of 6 months there have been two instances of recurrent stenosis greater than 50% as noted at duplex scanning. During the same period, 266 carotid CEAs were performed, with a neurologic event rate of 0.8% (major stroke, 0.4%; no minor strokes; TIA, 0.4%) and a myocardial infarction rate of 3%. Combined stroke and death rate was 1.3% in patients who underwent CAS and 0.5% in patients who underwent CEA. CONCLUSION: CAS with cerebral protection can be performed safely in patients at high surgical risk, with low perioperative morbidity and mortality. The durability of the procedure must be determined with longer follow-up.     

Evolution of the treatment of carotid occlusive disease: indications for carotid angioplasty and stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was established as the gold standard for treatment of carotid occlusive disease by several landmark papers published in the 1990's. Several decades of experience with CEA, however, has revealed high-risk subsets of patients in whom CEA carries increased risk of adverse events. These patients have subsequently been the focus of several randomized trials and registry databases which evaluated and proved non-inferiority of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) in recent years. CAS is now considered an appropriate and equivalent alternative to CEA in these high-risk patients, defined by the presence of severe cardiac, pulmonary, or renal disease or by the presence of local factors such as prior neck radiation, prior neck operations, contralateral carotid occlusion, or surgically inaccessible lesions. Although ongoing trials in normal-risk patients may ultimately expand the indications for CAS, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend CAS in these patients over CEA. In addition, specific subsets of patients, such as octogenarians or those with anatomic complexity, may have increased incidence of adverse events with CAS and are best served by CEA.     

A prospective analysis of 142 carotid endarterectomies for occlusive vascular disease, 1979-1985

Carotid endarterectomy may carry a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality from major stroke, thus offsetting any statistical benefit in reduction of future stroke. Because of the disturbing ranges in the incidence of stroke morbidity and mortality reported from the several institutional series studying carotid endarterectomy, the authors undertook a prospective review of 142 consecutive carotid endarterectomies performed for symptomatic atherosclerotic occlusive vascular disease on the neurosurgical service. The University of Alabama Hospital. Preoperative risk assessment was performed in each case according to the Mayo Clinic classification system. The overall mortality rate was 1.4% and the major stroke morbidity rate was 0.7%, for a combined major morbidity and mortality rate of 2.1%. The incidence of minor neurological morbidity was 1.4%. There was no morbidity or mortality in the Grade I and II (low-risk) patient groups. This low combined major morbidity and mortality rate of 2.1% for carotid endarterectomy causes the surgical stroke-free survival curve to intersect the medical stroke-free survival curve at an earlier point in time, and thus demonstrates the greater reduction in risk of stroke which accrues over time for the surgically treated patient.     

Axillary-to-carotid artery bypass grafting for symptomatic severe common carotid artery occlusive disease

PURPOSE: Revascularization of the internal or external carotid arteries is occasionally indicated for symptomatic atherosclerotic common carotid artery occlusion or long-segment high-grade stenosis beginning at its origin. I report the outcome of axillary artery-based bypass grafts to the distal common, internal, or external carotid arteries. METHODS: Between 1981 and 1997, 29 axillary-to-carotid bypass grafting procedures were performed on 28 patients, 15 men and 13 women, with a mean age of 68 years. Indications were transient ischemia in nine patients, amaurosis fugax in four patients, completed stroke in six patients, and nonlateralizing global ischemia in nine patients. Twenty-three common carotid arteries were totally occluded, and six had long-segment stenosis of 90% or greater beginning at the origin. Saphenous vein grafts were used in 25 procedures, and synthetic grafts were used in four. Grafts were placed to 13 internal, eight distal common, and eight external carotid arteries. RESULTS: There were no perioperative deaths; one stroke occurred (3.4%). No lymphatic or peripheral nerve complications occurred. In a 1- to 11-year follow-up period (mean, 4.5 years), there were no graft occlusions, one restenosis of 50% or greater, and two restenoses of 70% or greater. The 1-year stenosis-free rate for 50% or greater stenosis was 93%, and the 5- and 10-year rates were 87%. No late ipsilateral strokes occurred. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 64% and 28%, respectively. Coronary artery disease was the major cause of late mortality. CONCLUSION: Axillary-to-carotid bypass grafting for severe symptomatic common carotid occlusive disease is safe, well tolerated, durable, and effective in stroke prevention. There is a high late mortality rate because of coronary artery disease in patients with severe proximal common carotid occlusive disease.     

Venous bypass of complicated stent placement for recurrent extracranial carotid occlusive disease

Aim of the study was to to demonstrate a useful solution to carotid angioplasty and stent complications. A 67 year old male had uncomplicated left carotid endarterectomies in 1985 and 1986. A left distal common carotid angioplasty and stent in 1999 was complicated by stenosis. In 2000 a left common carotid bypass from the lower common carotid to the distal internal carotid well above the stent was performed, yielding retrograde filling of the external carotid, distal antegrade filling of the internal carotid, and widely patent vessels in subsequent Doppler studies. He is currently doing well clinically with no recurrent stenosis. In conclusion a second redo carotid operation was deferred in favor of angioplasty and stent, which had complications. Despite prior operations the only difficulty with the reoperation was obtaining control of the distal internal carotid above the stent. The strategy demonstrated here will be useful to correct complications of carotid angioplasty and stenting.     

Internal carotid artery stump angioplasty for the treatment of cerebrovascular occlusive disease

Nineteen patients underwent a total of 21 stump angioplasty procedures for an occluded internal carotid artery. Indications for surgery included the preparation of the donor vessel for a subsequent extracranial-intracranial bypass procedure, the occurrence of emboli to the intracranial vasculature from the external carotid artery circulation, and the association with symptomatic occlusive disease of the external carotid artery accompanying occlusion of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. The technique utilized and the results obtained in these 19 patients are presented. In select patients, the removal of an occluded internal carotid artery stump via a stump angioplasty is beneficial in preventing the catastrophic sequela of embolic cerebrovascular disease.