[Atherosclerosis/calcinosis of the carotid and peripheral arteries in patients with initial and terminal stages of chronic renal failure].

AIM: To perform ultrasound dopplerography (UD) investigation of severity and prevalence of atherosclerosis/calcinosis of the central and peripheral arteries in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF); to estimate correlation between the vascular lesions and cardiovascular risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: UD of major arteries and echocardiography were made in 46 patients with CRF: 10 patients with initial CRF (creatinine 1.4-2.2 mg/dl) and 36 patients with terminal CRF on hemodialysis. RESULTS: Calcinates and atherosclerotic plaques were registered in the carotid and femoral arteries of all the patients. Atherosclerotic lesion was more frequent than calcinosis in the carotid arteries. Calcinosis was more frequent in the femoral arteries. The popliteal and tibial arteries were affected only by calcinosis which occurred in 20% patients with initial and 44.4% patients with terminal CRF. Calcinosis severity increased with progression of CRF while atherosclerosis severity depended more on the patients' age than on severity of CRF. The pulse wave speed in the carotid and femoral arteries was higher in marked left ventricular hypertrophy, seven (19.4%) of these patients had reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle < 40%. CONCLUSION: Compound atherosclerotic/calcinosis lesion of the vessels is registered at early stages of CRF and progress with progression of renal failure.