Clinical significance of carotid and ocular bruits in cerebrovascular disease

We investigated the clinical significance of carotid and ocular bruits (CB and OB) in 250 consecutive patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The incidence of bruits was compared with that in 100 age- and sex-matched neurological controls without CVD. In the CVD group, CB alone were found in 12 patients, both carotid and ocular bruits in 7, and OB alone in 2. CB were found only in 3 controls. We then evaluated CVD in the 25 patients (16 men and 9 women) who had bruits. The patients ranged from 55 to 81 years in age (mean: 70.6 years). The patients with CB alone constituted the largest group, and those with OB alone were the smallest group. CB were heard and abnormal blood flow was observed in 19/28 arteries of the 21 patients who underwent echo-flow studies. Carotid artery stenosis/occlusion was detected in 24/31 arteries (77%) in 23 patients who underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Thus, the sensitivity was 0.77 and specificity of a CB 0.91. In 9/10 patients with unilateral OB, ipsilateral or contralateral carotid artery stenosis/occlusion was detected. Diminished cerebral blood flow was observed in 10/15 patients with bruits who underwent SPECT. Of these 8 had reduced cerebral blood flow ipsilaterally to the bruit. Blood flow was reduced in the carotid artery territory in all of the patients, and watershed reductions were commonnest. Among the 25 patients, some showed neurological semiology of the vertebrobasilar territory in addition to that of the carotid territory. There were recurrences in 92% of the patients who had possible lesion in the territory of carotid artery. In 11 patients infarcts in the area of the cortical branch were shown using CT scans. Since bruits are more often audible in patients with CVD disease than in controls and since vascular stenosis and occlusion are detectable more frequently in these patients, bruits can serve as an important sign indicating CVD. (author)