Stent-supported angioplasty correction of symptomatic critical carotid angulation.

Carotid stent-supported angioplasty is currently under investigation in many medical centers, for use in treating extracanial cerebrovascular disease. The early results of CSSA in selected patients appear promising. While carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains the current standard of care, we believe that a small subgroup of patients at a high risk for surgery can benefit from CSSA.

The correlation of ultrasonic carotid plaque morphology and carotid plaque hemorrhage: clinical implications.

Background: This study examined the importance of ultrasonic plaque morphology and its correlation to the presence of intraplaque hemorrhage and clinical implications.

Methods: One hundred fifty-two carotid plaques associated with > or = 50% internal carotid artery stenoses in 135 patients who had carotid endarterectomies were characterized ultrasonographically into irregular/ulcerative, smooth, heterogeneous, homogeneous, or not defined. All plaques were examined pathologically for the presence of intraplaque hemorrhage.