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BACKGROUND Carotid intima media thickness reflects ongoing atherosclerosis in the body and can be measured by B-mode ultrasound. It is found to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Our study intends to find association of carotid intima media thickness with acute ischaemic stroke. Objectives-To study the association between common carotid artery intima media thickness in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. To study the pattern between carotid intima media thickness and subtypes of ischaemic stroke. To study the pattern between carotid intima media thickness and size of infarct. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe study design was a case control study. After getting ethical clearance, 42 cases and 42 controls satisfying the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. The data on demographic characteristics, smoking and cardiovascular risk factors were collected a s a structured questionnaire. B Mode ultrasound Doppler of both common carotid arteries with carotid intima media thickness measurement was done for all participants in the study. Data analysis was done by SPSS software. Tests of significance were done to find association between CIMT and acute ischaemic stroke, subtypes of brain infarction, while scattered plot for assessing size of infarct. RESULTSCarotid plaques were present in 40.5% of cases and 14.3% of controls. The mean carotid intima media thickness in the present study is 0.90 ± 0.1 among cases and 0.80 ± 0.1 among controls (p= 0.001). The risk for stroke was 57.1% among cases and 23.8% among controls (p= 0.002). Among infarct subtypes 52.3% had PACIs, 23.8% had LACIs, 16.6% had POCIs and 7% had TACIs. CIMT > 0.9 mm was found in 68.5% of PACI, 66.6% of TACI, 14.2% of POCI and 60% of LACI (p= 0.09). There was no correlation between CIMT and size of infarct (r= 0.132, p= 0.406). CONCLUSIONThere was significant association between CIMT and acute ischaemic stroke. No association was found between CIMT and brain infarction subtypes. No correlation was found between CIMT and size of infarct. KEYWORDSCarotid Intima Media Thickness, Stroke, Carotid Plaques. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Kesavadas SM, George AS, Roy N. Carotid intima media thickness in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. J. Evolution Med. Dent. Sci. 2018;7(07):914-918, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2018/208 BACKGROUND Currently, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The incidence of stroke increases with increasing age and with the growing elderly population worldwide the number of patients with stroke are likely to increase. Developing countries like India are facing a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in India. Stroke is generally defined as sudden or rapidly developing clinical signs of focal disturbance of cerebral function lasting more than 24 hours or leading to death with no apparent cause other than vascular origin. 'Financial or Other Competing Interest': None. Submission 26-11-2017, Peer Review 29-...

BACKGROUND SLE is a classic prototype for a multisystem inflammatory disease with autoimmune aetiology. Because of the pleomorphic nature of this disease, its cardiovascular manifestations have not always been emphasised. This study aims to look at prevalence of cardiovascular manifestations in SLE. Objective-To study the prevalence of cardiovascular manifestations in large living group of unselected patients with SLE both clinically and investigation wise including two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography and analysing their relation with clinical features of cardiovascular involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS 100 patients diagnosed to have SLE (Based on 2012 SLICC criteria) attending Rheumatology OPD and inpatients in General Medicine ward formed the study group. This group of patients were studied for 12 months. The study design was that of an observational study. Data was collected using pretested structured proforma. Data analysis was done using SPSS software. RESULTS Mean age at diagnosis of SLE was 34.5 years. Female to male ratio was 11.5:1. The most common cardiac symptom was dyspnoea on exertion (23%). Other prominent symptoms included palpitation (11%), chest pain (8%), cough (7%), syncope (3%). Mean pulse rate was 76.7, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 118.1 and 74.1 respectively. JVP was elevated in 2% of patients. Apex beat was displaced in 11% of patients. Pericardial rub was audible in 3% of patients, S4 in 2% and S3 in 1%. 8% of patients had an audible murmur, 7% had pansystolic murmur of mitral regurgitation, 1% had both MR and AR murmur. Pericardial effusion was present in 17% of patients, 13% had mild pericardial effusion whereas 4% had moderate pericardial effusion. Cardiac tamponade was not seen in any patient. Myocarditis was not seen in any patient. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was seen in 7% whereas diastolic dysfunction was more common with a prevalence of 10%. Mitral regurgitation was the most common valvular lesion identified, with a prevalence of 10%. The prevalence of aortic regurgitation was 3. Pulmonary hypertension was found with a prevalence of 6%. Libman-Sacks endocarditis was not observed. CONCLUSION Prevalence of cardiovascular manifestation in SLE in our study was 37%, the most common manifestations being Pericarditis and Pericardial effusion-17%. The most common valvular lesion identified was Mitral Regurgitation (10%). A high index of clinical suspicion is needed to pick up cardiac lesions in SLE. Though many of these patients are asymptomatic, early intervention can be beneficial.