[Should one operate on all asymptomatic carotid lesions?]

Two subgroups in Natali and Thevenet's stage 0 class of asymptomatic diseases are defined. True asymptomatic affections occur in patients with neurologically asymptomatic carotid lesions. The natural history of these diseases when compared with results after surgery is in favor of preventive operative therapy. False asymptomatic affections are seen in patients who, after previous operations for symptomatic carotid lesions, present a lesion on the controlateral carotid which until then had been neurologically silent. The natural history of this group shows that immediate definitive cerebral accidents are rare and that life expectancy is low. In contrast, the course after repeat surgery, the present data being the first to be published, appears to be rather unfavorable. Careful selection of patients in this subgroup is therefore necessary when considering surgical treatment.