1. Vascular ultrasound determinants of brain infarction in hypertensive diabetic patients
Grigorios G. Dimas1, Thomas J. Tegos2, Fotios S. Iliadis1, Ilias E. Kanellos1, Spiros D. Fotiadis1, Galaktion N. Konstantinidis1, Christos G Savopoulos1, Apostolos I. Hatzitolios1.
1 1st Propaedeutic Medical Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
2 1st Neurology Medical Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
3 Biochemistry Laboratory, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

2. Background/ Aim
It has been demonstrated that the ultrasound findings of carotid arteries are associated with ischemia on cerebral imaging.
In an effort to better determine the impact of the atherosclerotic load on brain parenchyma, a study was performed aiming to establish the association of carotid and femoral ultrasound findings with ischemia on brain computerised tomography (CT).

3. Methods
Analysis involved imaging by duplex of carotid and femoral arteries of 74 hypertensive diabetic patients (46 male and 28 female, mean age: years) in longitudinal fashion, to detect the presence of plaque and to assess the intima-media thickness (IMT).
Each artery was assigned a score (presence of plaque= 1, absence of plaque=0, IMT>0.8 mm=l, IMT<0.8 mm=0) and the total score of the four vessels (two carotids and two femorals) was calculated per patient (atherosclerotic ultrasonic score-ATHUS).
Subsequently, brain CT scans were performed in all patients and the presence or absence of ischemia was noted.

4. Results
Group A (ATHUS=0-2, 26 patients) was associated with a 19.2% (5/26) prevalence of brain CT ischemia.
The corresponding values for group B (ATHUS=3-5, 24 patients) and
group C (ATHUS=6-8, 24 patients) were: 45.8% (11/24) and 58.3 %( 14/24) respectively (p<0.05).

5. Conclusions
Our results suggested that the degree of atherosclerosis was directly related to brain CT ischemic findings.
This position might be clarified in larger studies of patients, aiming to establish the role of atherosclerosis detected on ultrasound in the development of brain CT ischemic findings.