Atherosclerotic Disease of the Aortic Arch and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

We wish to raise a note of caution about the use of anticoagulant agents to treat patients in whom protruding atherosclerotic plaques of the aortic arch have been diagnosed, because of the experience in our laboratories. We have followed 78 consecutive patients with protruding plaques of the thoracic aorta (>5 mm in thickness) for an average of 29 weeks; these patients have been treated with various anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents by their referring physicians.¹