Link between linear hyperintensity objects in cerebral white matter and hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.
BACKGROUND
We retrospectively studied the relationship between linear hyperintensity objects (LHOs) on T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) in the cerebral white matter and the occurrence of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HIH).


METHODS
Forty-nine hypertensive patients with a fixed imaging condition MRI were classified into three groups: HIH (n = 17), ischemic stroke due to hypertensive vasculopathy (n = 19), and hypertension only (n = 13). After assessing clinical and radiological background information among these groups and the reliability of LHO measurements, polynomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors relating to HIH.


RESULTS
HIH had a significantly higher LHO number (p = 0.002) and larger diameter (p = 0.007). The LHO number showed an excellent interrater (kappa = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.87-0.94, SEM = 6.2%) and intrarater reliability (kappa = 0.95, 95% CI= 0.92-0.97, SEM = 4.8%), and was the most significant independent indicator of HIH (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.05-1.60, p = 0.017). The number of microbleeds was an additional indicator (OR = 3.73, 95% CI = 1.10-12.65, p = 0.034).


CONCLUSIONS
LHOs are closely linked to HIH. A prospective, longitudinal study is needed to clarify whether LHOs can predict HIH.
Hiroki
Masahiko
M
Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. CYI01752@nifty.com
Miyashita
Kotaro
K
Oe
Hiroshi
H
Takaya
Shigetoshi
S
Hirai
Shunsaku
S
Fukuyama
Hidenao
H
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020299:Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index