Carotid Disease: Present Management and Future Trends
Abstract
Perspectives in Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy Volume 16, Number 2, 2004 Introduction Carotid Disease: Present Management and Future Trends Stroke is responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths annually, the third leading cause of death after cardiac disease and cancer. Each year the in- cidence of new strokes is 700,000, and carotid artery disease is responsible for 10% to 20% of cases. Carotid endarterectomy, the gold standard for management of both symptomatic and asymp- tomatic carotid stenosis, is supported by level 1 prospective, randomized studies. As demonstrat- ed in other vascular beds, minimally invasive en- dovascular intervention is clearly on the horizon and threatens to take over supremacy. The indi- viduals who were invited to participate in this symposium have demonstrated specific expertise in the diagnosis and management of patients with carotid artery disease and summarize their strate- gies in this issue of Perspectives in Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. Nicos Labropoulos, PhD, DIC, RVT, Research Associate Professor, Division of Vascular Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, has national and international recognition for his clinical and research initiatives in the field of noninvasive vascular laboratory testing. He reviews the ac- curacy and benefits of Duplex ultrasound evalu- ation as