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Objective: To know the clinical presentation and affected vessels as well as evaluate the carotid Doppler ultrasound (CDU) vs. diagnostic cerebral angiography (DCA) both due to the percentage of significant stenosis (>50%), and the presence of carotid ulcers in Mexican population. Patients and Methods: In Mexico City, from January 2018 to January 2020, was realized a retrospective analysis in a third-level hospital, which qualitative variables were studied. In the case of the percentage of stenosis, the existence -or not- of significant stenosis was considered. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of ultrasound vs. angiography for significant stenosis and for the detection of ulcers was also calculated. Results: A total of 30 patients were analyzed, 18 men and 12 women with an age range between 47 and 89 years and an average age of 71 years. The arterial locations most frequently reported by ultrasound and angiography were graphed, as well as the mean percentage of stenosis. Regarding the evaluation of the Doppler ultrasound as a diagnostic test, 78% of sensitivity and a 53% of specificity for the percentage of stenosis, so it was greater than or equal to 50%; and a sensitivity of 0% and specificity of 90% for the detection of ulcers. Conclusions: The value of ultrasound as a diagnostic test compared to gold standard, contrasts with the result that was reported in the reading. We consider that the intentional search for carotid ulcers in patients who have already presented medical history compatible with carotid disease should be more exhaustive, based on studies with greater sensitivity, although they could be more invasive or more expensive.

Introduction: Postsurgical Lumbar facet joint syndrome (PLFJS) is a clinical entity characterized by acute or chronic lumbar pain which can irradiate to the lower extremities but never with a dermatomal pattern in postsurgical patients of lumbar surgery. The diagnosis and treatment are with a Diagnostic Facet Block (DFB). This study describes the outcome of patients undergoing DFB after lumbar surgery and compares the results with patients without surgery. Methods: An analytic and longitudinal study with patients over 18 years old between January 2018 and January 2020. For the comparative analysis, we performed two groups: non-surgical lumbar facet joint syndrome (NSLFJS) and PLFJS. Results: The general prevalence of PLFJS in our population was 12.5%. The results after DBF showed a significant decrease in the Oswestry percentage and pain according to the Visual Analog Scale(VAS) for the NSLFJS and PLFJS groups between the 3 surgical stages (pre-DFB, post-DFB at 6 weeks and post-DFB at 6 months), but no significant differences between the 2 groups. Discussion: The VAS and Oswestry reported a significant improvement in both groups of patients. The innervation of the lumbar facet joints causes pain, this is secondary to the pathological neural activity of facet arthritis that arises because of chronic postsurgical inflammation or chronic degenerative changes. Conclusion: The origin of the LFJS is the arthrosis of the facet, originated by postsurgical or degenerative changes. DFB is effectivefor decreasing pain of facet joint origin in patients with previous lumbar surgery.