Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels of the brain

Depending on the severity of the patient and the area affected, there are three degrees of cerebral arteriosclerosis:

1. In the initial stages symptoms appear only occasionally, only when additional precipitating factors. Vasomotor disturbances are mainly of a functional nature.
2. In atherosclerosis 2 degree changes in the vessels are not only functional, but also morphological and manifestations of the disease – more stable.
3. 3 the extent of involvement of cerebral arteries due to repeated attacks of ischemic necrosis of some part of the brain, which are replaced by connective tissue and firmly lose their original function. The symptoms are always present and often lead to disability of the patient.

Symptoms

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of cerebral arteries associated with the development of dysfunction of certain brain regions, or weakening of brain activity in General. The most characteristic manifestations of this disease are:

• impaired attention and memory;
• the decline of intellectual abilities;
• loss of sleep;
• decline in hearing and vision;
• tinnitus that is not associated with pathology of ENT-organs;
• frequent headaches and migraines;
• redness of the face and sweating;
• weakness or tingling in the extremities;
• emotional lability, tearfulness, low stress;
• an abnormal reaction to certain audio or visual stimuli;
• depressed mood and a tendency to depression.

With the development of mini-strokes the accession of focal symptoms (paresis, paralysis, aphasia, etc.).

Diagnosis

According to the ICD 10, the diagnosis of cerebral atherosclerosis can be put only after carrying out several surveys:

• Blood clotting, lipid profile.
• Ultrasound examination of extracerebral arteries (internal or common carotid) using Doppler ultrasound.
• Transcranial Doppler cerebral blood vessels (performed through natural openings in the skull – the temporal fossa).
• Angiography using iodine-containing contrast, which is injected directly into the affected area, and then under an x-ray to assess the degree of narrowing of the arteries.
• EEG allows to judge the degree of disturbance of the cortical structures of the brain.
• MRI, including with the use of contrast, along with angiography is the most diagnostically important method of examination of patients with suspected cerebral atherosclerosis.