Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness And Ankle-Brachial Index Are Strong Predictors Of Complicated Aortic Arch Plaque In Acute Cerebral Embolism Patients

Background: Complicated aortic arch plaque (CAP) detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides prognostic information regarding cerebrovascular disease risk. Coexistence of peripheral atherosclerotic disease worsens the prognosis in ischemic stroke patients. Methods: We examined TEE, carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT, calculated from carotid echograms), and ankle-brachial index (ABI, calculated from ankle/brachial blood pressure ratios) in 100 consecutive cerebral embolism patients within 2 weeks of onset of symptoms. CAP was defined as atherosclerotic plaque (≥4mm) or presence of ulcerated plaque assessed by TEE. Patients were classified into those with CAP (n=36, Group A) or without CAP (n=64, Group B). Results: Comparing patients in the two groups, significantly higher values were seen in Group A for age (69±8 vs. 63±11 years, pu003c0.01), prevalence of hypertension (75% vs. 50%, pu003c0.05) and ischemic heart disease (19% vs. 3%, pu003c0.01), and CIMT (1.9±0.8 vs. 1.2±0.5 mm, pu003c0.0001). Si...