Extracranial Carotid Artery Stenoses

Overview

Basic treatment of patients with carotid stenosis is a permanent complex treatment (lowering of risk factors ofatherosclerosis, antiplatelets treatment and the potential use of the inhibitor of angiotensive converting enzyme).Symptomatic stenosis (over 85%in European classification of arteriography) are indicated for the surgery. In smallerstenoses (75–85 %), only selected patients are indicated for such treatment. Surgery in asymptomatic stenoses over75 % should be done in strictly indicated cases only. Operation should be performed at clinics with sufficientexperience only. In cases without preoperative angiography, indication for surgery should be based on duplexsonography and some other non-invasive method. Endovascular treatment by primary stent is indicated for the mostserious cases at the best clinics.

Key words:
carotid stenosis, arteriography, sonography, endarterctomy.