Carotid Intima – Media Thickness and Plaque Can Predict The Occurrence of Ischemic Stroke

B-mode ultrasound is a non-invasive method of examining the wall of the peripheral arteries And provides measures of the intimamedia thickness (IMT) at various sites (common carotid artery, internal carotid artery), and plaques that may indicate early pre symptomatic diseases; therefore, estimating the intima-media thickness and plaque is important in term of evaluating patients with higher risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.Objectives: We investigated whether carotid intima-media thickness and plaque measured by noninvasive B-mode Ultrasonography predicts ischemic stroke.Methods and Patients: This is a case -control study of patients admitted to hospital with diagnosis of ischemic CVA ; and patients without ischemic infarction; the diagnosis of cerebral infarction was confirmed by new CT of the brain.All participants underwent the standard examination and testing as well as carotid B-Mode ultrasound (Ultrasound measurements of right and left common carotid artery IMT and internal carotid artery IMT were made) and arteries were examined for plaques 1.5 cm a above and below the flow divider.Result: 52 patients were included in the study, 26 patients with ischemic stroke(case subjects) and 26 patients (control subjects).Mean maximum common carotid artery IMT , internal carotid artery IMT and the prevalence of plaque were significant higher in CVA group ( P < 0.05 , p= 0,001 , p <0.001 , respectively), other risk factors showed no significant difference between groups.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated increased maximum IMT of the common carotid artery, internal carotid artery.And Plaque in ICA are strong predictors for ischemic stroke.