FREQUENCY OF CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY-RELATED SUBCLINICAL CEREBRAL COMPLICATIONS

To evaluate the frequency of subclinical cerebral complications of car otid endarterectomy, 19 patients were studied before and 1 month after surgery. Significant neurological complications were detected only in 1 patient (5%), while neuropsychological deterioration was found in 1 2 patients (63%) as compared to 5 (29 %) of 17 control subjects underg oing other vascular surgery procedures (p < 0.05). MRI detected new ce rebral lesions in 3 (16%) patients, who also showed a decline In cereb ral perfusion reserve in the peri-infarct area as assessed by acetazol amide-enhanced SPET. Global cerebral perfusion reserve declined in thr ee patients. Quantitative EEG did not reveal deterioration in any pati ents. The possible prognostic significance of these sublinical complic ations should be defined.