Atherosclerosis of the intracranial arteries – current view, 1^st part.

Czech version

Authors: J. Žižka
Authors‘ workplace: I. interní klinika, FTNsP/IPVZ, Praha ⁴
Published in: Kardiol Rev Int Med 2011, 13(4): 236-240

Overview

Atherosclerosis of the intracranial arteries is a relatively common disease and it is estimated that disease of the intracranial arteries is responsible for c. 8–10% of ischemic stroke in Caucasians. However, it is a much more frequent cause of stroke in Asians, Blacks and Hispanics, and therefore appears to be the most frequent cause of stroke worldwide. For this reason an increasing amount of attention has been paid to this illness worldwide. Risk factors for atherosclerosis of the intracranial arteries are similar to those for atherosclerosis of the extracranial arteries. The prognosis for patients with symptomatic disease of the intracranial arteries is unfavourable, as patients face a high risk of recurrence of cranial episodes, chiefly in the vicinity of the affected artery. Options for treatment are currently limited and results are unsatisfactory – new findings in this area are highly desirable. The following work attempts to give a complex, current view of this illness. The paper is divided into two parts – the second part focuses on diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords:
atherosclerosis – cerebrovascular disease – intracranial stenosis – intracranial occlusion – prognosis – therapy

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