Small subcortical infarct and intracranial large artery disease in Chinese.
BACKGROUND
Small subcortical infarct (SSI) occurs more frequently among Chinese than Caucasians. Apart from small vessel disease, SSI is also associated with intracranial large artery disease. We aimed to study the frequency of SSI with and without intracranial large artery disease among Chinese stroke patients.


METHODS
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) were performed among consecutive Chinese stroke patients admitted to our acute stroke unit over a 6-month period.


RESULTS
Among the 257 patients with ischemic stroke, 71 patients (27.6%) had SSI. Twelve patients (16.9%) had relevant intracranial large artery disease and three patients (4.2%) had lone relevant extracranial carotid artery disease. No patient had an identifiable cardiac embolic source or other miscellaneous cause. Excluding patients with relevant intracranial large artery disease and extracranial carotid artery disease, the frequency of SSI associated with presumed small vessel disease among patients with ischemic stroke was 21.7%. Patients with SSI associated with intracranial large artery disease had greater number of acute infarcts and slightly greater stroke severity and cognitive impairment than those with presumed small vessel disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Our present study suggests that the higher frequency of SSI among Chinese may be in part related to a higher frequency of intracranial large artery disease rather than to a higher frequency of small vessel disease.
Mok
Vincent C T
VC
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
Fan
Yu Hua
YH
Lam
Wynnie W M
WW
Hui
Andrew C F
AC
Wong
Ka Sing
KS
D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies