Abstract

Background: Carotid atherosclerosis is often mentioned as one of the main causes of stroke. Currently, embolization is considered the most common mechanism that causes ischemic strokes due to atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid artery. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound provides relatively inexpensive, noninvasive, real-time measurement of blood flow characteristics and cerebrovascular hemodynamics within brain arteries. The pulsatile index measured by transcranial Doppler is a parameter that indicates the degree of elasticity of the blood vessels of the brain. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the value of the pulsatile index of the middle cerebral artery and the basilar artery in patients with carotid stenosis using transcranial Doppler and the value of the pulsatile index in relation to the degree of carotid stenosis. Methods: The study involved a total of 140 patients examined at the Color Doppler and Transcranial Doppler Department of the Neurology Department of the General Hospital ”Prim Dr. Abdulah Nakas” Sarajevo The patients were divided into two groups. The research was conducted in the General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakas” in Sarajevo at the Department for Color Doppler and Transcranial Doppler of the Department of Neurology and included patients examined in the period from February 2022 to December 2022. All patients underwent extracranial Doppler of the carotid arteries and transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery and basilar artery. Results: The mean values of PI in ACM in the total sample were statistically significantly lower in patients with stenosis up to 50% compared to the average in patients with stenosis over 50%. Average values of PI in AB in the total sample were statistically significantly lower in patients with stenosis up to 50% compared to the mean values in patients with stenosis over 50%. Conclusion: Transcranial Doppler findings showed an increased pulsatile index in patients who had carotid stenosis greater than 50% compared to patients with mild carotid stenosis. The study showed that in clinical work it would be necessary to introduce the pulsatile index as an indispensable neurosonological parameter that would be included in the findings of the transcranial Doppler and thus objectify the potential risk of a cerebrovascular ischemic event.

Key words: carotid stenosis, pulsatile index, extracranial Doppler, transcranial Doppler.