The association of the circle of Willis anomaly and risk of stroke in patients with carotid artery disease

ABSTRACT The circle of Willis is an important collateral system that maintains perfusion to the stenotic area from the contralateral carotid and basilar artery to the region of reduced brain perfusion. The aim of the present study was to compare the circle of Willis anomaly in patients with unilateral symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease. Results: In this retrospective study, we analyzed 175 patients who presented at our outpatient stroke clinic between January, 2013 and June, 2015 with either unilateral symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid artery disease, and who had had CT angiography imaging performed. Demographic properties, carotid artery stenosis and the anomaly of the circle of Willis was recorded. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease in terms of the anomaly of the circle of Willis. Keywords: circle of Willis; carotid artery diseases; stroke; angiography. RESUMO O Circulo de Willis e um importante sistema colateral que mantem a perfusao a area estenotica da carotida contralateral e da arteria basilar para a regiao de perfusao cerebral reduzida. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar a anomalia do Circulo de Willis em pacientes com doenca carotidea assintomatica e sintomatica unilateral. Resultados: Neste estudo retrospectivo, foram analisados 175 pacientes que foram a nossa clinica ambulatorial de AVC, entre janeiro de 2013 e junho de 2015, com doenca carotidea assintomatica ou sintomatica unilateral, e que fizeram angiografia por tomografia computadorizada. Propriedades demograficas, estenose da arteria carotida e anomalia do Circulo de Willis foram registradas. Conclusao: