Study of carotid disease in patients with peripheral artery disease

Objective: To study the stenosis of the carotid arteries in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.Methods: we assessed 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in stages of intermittent claudication, rest pain or ulceration. Carotid stenosis was studied by echo-color-doppler, and considered significant when greater than or equal to 50%. We used univariate analysis to select potential predictors of carotid stenosis, later taken to multivariate analysis.Results: The prevalence of carotid stenosis was 84%, being significant in 40% and severe in 17%. The age range was 43-89 years (mean 69.78). Regarding gender, 61% were male and 39% female. Half of the patients had claudication and half had critical ischemia. Regarding risk factors, 86% of patients had hypertension, 66% exposure to smoke, 47% diabetes, 65% dyslipidemia, 24% coronary artery disease, 16% renal failure and 60% had family history of cardiovascular disease. In seven patients, there was a history of ischemic cerebrovascular symptoms in the carotid territory. The presence of cerebrovascular symptoms was statistically significant in influencing the degree of stenosis in the carotid arteries (p = 0.02 at overall assessment and p = 0.05 in the subgroups of significant and non-significant stenoses).Conclusion: the study of the carotid arteries by duplex scan examination is of paramount importance in the evaluation of patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease, and should be systematically conducted in the study of such patients. Objetivo: estudar estenose das artérias carótidas nos pacientes com doença arterial periférica sintomática.Métodos: avaliaram-se consecutivamente 100 portadores de doença arterial periférica sintomática, nos estágios de claudicação intermitente, dor em repouso ou lesão trófica. A estenose carotídea foi estudada pelo eco-color-doppler, sendo considerada significativa quando maior ou igual a 50%. A análise univariada foi utilizada para selecionar os potenciais preditores de estenose carotídea, levados posteriormente para análise multivariada.Resultados: a prevalência de estenose carotídea foi 84%, sendo significativa em 40% e acentuada em 17%. A idade variou de 43 a 89 anos (média de 69,78). Quanto ao sexo, 61% foram do sexo masculino e 39% do feminino. Metade dos pacientes da amostra era claudicante e metade tinha isquemia crítica. Quanto aos fatores de risco, 86% dos pacientes apresentaram hipertensão arterial sistêmica, 66%