Comparison of carotid artery ultrasonography findings between acute coronary syndrome and atherothrombotic cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atherothrombotic cerebral infarction (ACI) are common, it is unknown if the risk factors for these two conditions are similar. The purpose of our study was to elucidate differences in carotid artery atherosclerotic features between ACS and ACI.

METHODS: We measured carotid artery ultrasound-based atherosclerotic parameters in 61 ACS and 33 ACI patients. In the ACS patients, 31 had single-vessel coronary artery disease (SVD) and 30 had multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD).

RESULTS: The maximum intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was higher in ACS patients with MVD than in ACS patients with SVD (P < 0.05), and tended to be higher than that in ACI patients (P = 0.085). The values in ACS patients with SVD and ACI patients were similar. The maximum IMT of the carotid artery bulb in ACS patients with MVD was similar to that in both ACS patients with SVD and ACI patients. The plaque score was higher in ACS patients with MVD than in ACS patients with SVD (P < 0.01), but similar to that in ACI patients.

CONCLUSION: ACS and ACI show common atherosclerotic features as assessed by carotid artery ultrasonography.