Arterial (Quiz 5) Flashcards
What is the meaning of systemic and unilateral symptoms?
systemic symptoms do no affect a particular side
unilateral symptoms affect the opposite side
What are systemic symptoms of carotid artery lesions?
difficulty speaking (dysphasia or aphasia), dizziness/loss of balance, and sudden severe headache
What are unilateral symptoms of carotid artery lesions?
focal weakness, paralysis, numbness (paresthesia), amaurosis fugax (same side as responsible carotid)
What is amaurosis fugax?
eye symptom where it looks like a shade is coming down
What is different about the unilateral symptom of carotid artery disease, amaurosis fugax?
this syptoms effects the same side as the responsible carotid while the other symptoms effect the opposite side
With most unilateral symtoms, right sided symptoms equals…
left sided disease
What are cerebrovascular indications?
asymptomatic bruit, transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebrovascular accident (stroke), preoperative candidate, post carotid endarterectomy
What is TIA?
transient ischemic attack
neurologic deficits which occur intermittently, lasting from several minutes to a few hours
(the symptoms last less than 24 hours and will self resolve)
What is RIND?
reversible ischemic neurologic deficit
symptoms last from 24 hours to 3 weeks
How long do symptoms of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA or completed stroke) last?
over 3 weeks
What are symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency?
dizziness, diplopia (double vision), and ataxia (lack of balance)
What happens with vertebrobasilar insufficiency?
when the posterior circulation is compromised
What are the mechanisms of cerebrovascular symptoms? (in other words, what can cause these symptoms)
emboli, high grade stenosis, arterial thrombosis, and cerebral hemorrhage
How does an emboli cause cerebrovascular symptoms?
emboli from atherosclerotic plaques and ulcerated plaque gets stuck in small vessel and ischemia of a small part of the brain results causing the symtoms
What are the most common causes of cerebrovascular symptoms?
emboli and cerebral hemorrhage
How does high grade stenosis cause cerebrovascular symptoms?
it reduces blood flow
Who is at a greater risk for arterial thrombosis?
patients with atrialfibrolation
they are also at risk for pulmonary embolism and emboli
Who is at a greater risk of cerebral hemorrhage?
those on blood thinners
will also have lots of bruises
What are risk factors for carotid artery disease?
alcohol abuse, cocaine use, diabetes, family history of stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increasing age, smoking (people who smoke one pack a day double their risk of a stroke)
Explain the fact that carotids are codependent.
if there is disease on one side, it will effect the flow in the other
What does intimal thickening of the carotid demonstrate?
predicts future disease
What can be seen with B-mode images of the carotid?
demonstrate the intima and characterize plaque
How can plaque be characterized?
calcified, smooth, irregular, mixed echogenicity, complex, echolucent, ulcerative (softer plaque)
What type of plaque is more vulnerable to embolize?
softer plaque