Abstract
Large vessel atherosclerotic disease (affecting both intracranial and extracranial
arteries) is a highly prevalent cause of stroke. In this review, the authors describe
the epidemiology, evaluation, diagnosis, and therapeutic aspects of large-vessel atherosclerotic
disease. Endarterectomy and stenting have proven to be effective methods for carotid
artery revascularization and stroke prevention, although some of the clinical trials
demonstrating this benefit predated the advances in modern medical therapy. Randomized
clinical trials comparing aggressive management with surgical and endovascular stenting
plus aggressive medical management have shown medical management alone to be safer
and more effective for preventing stroke in intracranial and vertebrobasilar stenosis.
Keywords
carotid stenosis - ischemic stroke - intracranial atherosclerosis - risk factors
