[Ultrasonic detection of arteriosclerosis of the main arterial trunks in the coronary patient].

Ultrasonic investigations of the peripheral vessels (continuous Doppler with spectral analysis, echotomography) were performed to evaluate atherosclerosis of the main arteries (abdominal aorta, cervical arteries, lower limb arteries) in 50 coronary patients and 40 control subjects. In the main, our results support those of previously published series (epidemiological and autopsy studies): Atherosclerosis of the main arterial vessels is significantly more common (p less than 0.01) in coronary patients than in control subjects: carotid lesions: 70% (including 10% with severe stenosis) compared to 32% (no severe stenosis); aortic lesions: 50% (including 20% with severe stenosis) compared to 17.5% (7.5% severe stenosis); lower limb arteries: 58% (including 16% severe stenosis) compared to 12.5% (no severe stenosis). The difference of incidences of associations of atherosclerosed vessels between the two groups was significant (p less than 0.01): no peripheral vascular disease was detected in 57.5% of controls compared to only 12% of coronary patients; more than one territory diseased in 15% of controls compared to 58% of coronary patients. The severity of these lesions correlated with the presence of the three major cardiovascular risk factors which were studied (hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia) and was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in coronary patients (38% had more than one major risk factor and only 10% had none) than in controls (47% had no risk factors and 6% had more than one). In addition, the preferential sites of atherosclerosis were also confirmed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)