Carotid doppler ultrasonography evaluation in patients with stroke

Introduction: Stroke is defined as rapid onset of focal neurological deficit resulting from diseases of cerebral vasculature and its contents. Community surveys in India have shown a crude prevalence rate for hemiplegia in the range of 200 per 100,000 persons, nearly 1.5% of all urban hospital admission, 4.5% of all medical and around 20% of neurological cases. The aim of the study: To determine the usefulness of doing Carotid Doppler Ultrasonography as a screening procedure in predicting the chance of developing stroke in persons having risk factors for stroke. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in Department of Medicine, Government Dharmapuri Medical College, Dharmapuri in December 2017 to January 2018. In this study, patients who were admitted with a history of sudden onset of neurological illness are subjected to CT scan brain. Among the patients who had suffered an ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation are selected and they were further evaluated. Results: Hypertension was present equally in 58% of the males and females studied. Hence this study confirmed that hypertension is one of the major risk factors for the development of stroke and control of hypertension will reduce the risk of developing stroke. In this study diabetes as a risk factor was present in 89% of females and 41% of males. Hence this study observed that patients with diabetes are at increased risk for all forms of ischemic stroke and also are more likely to have hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Information from other studies also suggests that higher total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Conclusion: Carotid Doppler Ultrasonography cannot substitute for angiography as the sole preoperative tests for Carotid endarterectomy. However, it can be used as a screening test for the detection of the asymptomatic Carotid disease in patients with risk factors for stroke.