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Bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis. Prognosis and risk factors
Insights
Bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis impacts long-term prognosis. Common risk factors like smoking and high triglycerides were prevalent, but no clear link to prognosis was found in this study.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Cerebrovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis is a severe condition affecting blood flow to the brain.
- Understanding long-term outcomes and associated risk factors is crucial for patient management.
- This study focuses on a cohort treated between 1966-1973.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the long-term prognosis of patients with bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis.
- To determine the prevalence of cerebrovascular disease risk factors in this patient group.
- To investigate potential associations between risk factors and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 14 patients with bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis.
- Long-term follow-up ranging from 3 to 86 months (median 50 months).
- Assessment of cerebrovascular disease risk factors including smoking, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, ECG, obesity, and hypertension.
Main Results:
- Five out of 14 patients died during the follow-up period (3 during the first year, 2 during the second).
- Prognosis varied among survivors, with some requiring institutionalization and others remaining symptom-free or able to work.
- High prevalence of risk factors: 91% were smokers, 70% had high triglycerides, and 62% had high cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- Bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis carries a significant mortality risk.
- Cigarette smoking and hypertriglyceridemia were notably more common in this cohort than in the general population.
- No direct correlation was identified between the number of risk factors and the long-term prognosis in these patients.
Abstract:
Fourteen patients with bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis were analysed with respect to long-term prognosis and the prevalence of risk factors of cerebrovascular disease. The patients comprised seven per cent of all patients with internal carotid thrombosis treated in 1966-73 at the Department of Neurology, University of Helsinki. During the follow-up period of 3 to 86 months (median 50 months) five patients died, three during the first, and two during the second year of follow-up. Of the surviving patients: two needed institutionalization; three were able to take care of themselves; and four who were virtually symptom-free, were able to work. The risk factors of cerebrovascular disease were analysed: 91 per cent were cigarette smokers; 70 per cent had serum triglycerides of 140 mg/100ml or higher; and 62 per cent had cholesterol values of 280 mg/100 ml or higher. Fasting glucose values higher than 95 mg/100 ml, and ECG abnormalities were encountered in every third, and obesity and hypertension in every fourth patient. Cigarette smoking and high triglycerides were more prevalent than in the general population. No association between the number of risk factors in the individual patients and the prognosis could be found.