Stenoses of the intracranial arteries are one of the etiopathogenetic factors of ischaemic stroke. In the course of 32 months the authors diagnosed, using transcranial color duplex sonography, MR angiography and conventional angiography, intracranial stenoses in 64 patients – 185 stenoses. The most frequent risk factor in these patients was hypertension (81 %) and overweight (80 %). Hyperlipoproteinaemia was recorded in 38 patients, diabetes mellitus in 36 %, smoking in 33 % and obesity in 30 %. Atherosclerotic changes in other arteries were observed in 95 % patients, most frequently in the carotid (75 %) and coronary circulation (39 %). 53 patients (83 %) had a history of stroke or TIA. The risk of stroke and TIA depended on the number and severity of stenoses. The most frequent finding on CT/MRI of the brain in patients after stroke or TIA was a lacunar infarction (81 %), less frequently a territorial (44 %) or interterritorial infarction (13 %).

        Key words: stenosis, intracranial artery, risk factors, risk of stroke