This study states that Stroke and mortality in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) disease have been well described. However, the natural history and stroke risk associated with common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion are unclear. The objective of this study was to determine ipsilateral ICA disease progression as well as the stroke risk and mortality of patients with CCA occlusion. This study is a retrospective analysis of patients with CCA occlusion who underwent at least two carotid ultrasound examinations at a high-volume, noninvasive vascular laboratory from 2009 to 2018. Demographic data, comorbidities, and duplex ultrasound characteristics of all cervical carotid and vertebral arteries along with any operative interventions and outcomes were collected. Comparisons between test group differences were performed using Pearson χ2 and Fisher exact tests. Kaplan-Meier estimates of event-free survival and hazard ratios from Cox proportional hazards models were presented for all time to event variables. CCA occlusion is associated with significant rates of recurrent stroke or TIA and mortality. Subsequent ipsilateral ICA occlusion does not appear to be associated with this stroke risk but may have an impact on the risk of mortality, probably reflective of greater systemic disease burden.
Reference link-https://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(20)31992-3/fulltext
