Abstract

Back ground: WHO defines stroke as “the rapid development of clinical signs and symptoms of a focal neurological disturbance which lasts for more than 24 hours or leading to death with vascular origin as the cause. Stroke is a clinical syndrome, which describes a sudden neurological deficit of presumed vascular origin.The risk factors for stroke are diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol and hypertension. Colour doppler ultrasound is one of the important tool for the evaluation of exracranial insufficiency of the carotid arteries. This study was performed to assess the carotid arteries with the help of color doppler in carotid artery disease. Aims and objectives: To elaborate the color Doppler evaluation of extracranial carotid arteries and risk factors in predicting cerebro vascular accident in patients with carotid atheromatous disease. Materials and Methods: Of the 102 patients who had come to our department during the study period with symptoms of cerebrovascular disease such as transient episodes of neurological dysfunction, sudden weakness or numbness, hemiparesis, focal neurological deficits, sudden loss of consciousness, altered sensorium, aphasia, slurring of speech, diminution or loss of vision were included into the study. CT scan of brain and color doppler evaluation for the extracranial carotid arteries was done for all the patients to assess the atheromatous disease of extracranial carotid arteries and comparison with brain changes in cerebrovascular disease patients.