[Incidence of extracranial cerebrovascular disease in patients with coronary artery disease (author's transl)].

The prevalence of hemodynamically significant disease of the extracranial cerebral arteries was studied in 188 consecutive patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) by means of the Doppler ultrasound method. 24 (= 12.8%) patients had a significantly reduced perfusion of the common or internal carotid artery, proximal subclavian artery with subclavian steal, or vertebral artery. 2 patients showed a simultaneous involvement of two neck arteries, 3 patients of three neck arteries. The incidence of significant flow impairment of the neck arteries rose with increasing coronary artery involvement: 5.4% in 1-vessel CAD, 12.3% in 2-vessel CAD, 16.3% in 3-vessel CAD. Due to a considerable number of false negative and false positive findings, auscultation proved to be unreliable in the detection of hemodynamically relevant flow disturbances of the extracranial cerebral arteries. It is suggested that at least all candidates for aortocoronary bypass surgery should undergo ultrasound Doppler sonography of the neck arteries.