T. Nishihira, M. Yamamoto, H. Takekawa, K. Suzuki, Y. Asakawa, A. Iwasaki, M. Okamura, K. Hirata
Dokkyo Medical University – Mibu, Japan

Objective: Recent studies have suggested increased diameters of the brachial artery may be a useful indicator for subclinical coronary artery diseases, and central artery dilation such as common carotid artery are associated with arteriosclerosis. However it remains unclear in patients with cerebral infarction. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the diameters of brachial artery (BAD) and common carotid artery (CAD) in patients with cerebral infarction.

Material and Methods: Thirty-three patients with acute atherothrombotic brain infarction (group ATBI), 33 cardiogenic cerebral embolism (group CE) and 31 normal controls (group NC) were enrolled. BAD and CAD at the end-diastolic phase were measured in each group by ultrasonography. Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Scheffe’s post-hoc test was used to compare differences among three groups.

Y. Asakawa, H. Takekawa, K. Suzuki, M. Yamamoto, M. Okamura, T. Nishihira, A. Iwasaki, K. Hirata
Dokkyo Medical University – Mibu, Japan

Objective: Dilatation of common carotid artery (CCA) has been indicated as an independent risk factor for thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AA); however, it has not been yet established in Japanese patients with AA. This study aimed to identify CCA diameter of preoperative patients with AA.

Material and Methods: We evaluated 40 AA patients and 40 controls. External and internal diameters of bilateral CCA during diastolic phase were measured in each group. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare differences between two groups, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate optimal sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing the co-morbidity of AA.