AIM: To investigate the correlation between carotid artery disease and fundus arteriosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction.

METHODS: Totally 120 patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into two groups. The patients were diagnosed with bilateral carotid artery and non-mydriatic fundus camera. Fouty-two patients transient ischaemic attack(TIA)underwent cerebral angiography. The data were recorded for analysis.

RESULTS: The degree of fundus arteriosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction was positively correlated with blood pressure(r=0.361, P=0.015). There was a significant correlation between retinal arteriosclerosis grade and carotid atherosclerosis(r=0.392, P=0.011). The degree of fundus arteriosclerosis was correlated with cerebral arteriolar lesion, higher than it with carotid artery disease(r=0.465, 0.392, P=0.037).

CONCLUSION: Carotid arteriosclerosis, fundus arteriosclerosis and cerebral arteriolar lesions in patients with cerebral infarction have a significant correlation with hypertension, and fundus arterial examination has important clinical value in judging cerebral arteriosclerosis.