Myocardial scars are an underestimated cardiovascular burden in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis.
BACKGROUND
Patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis have an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. Evidence about the incidence of clinically silent myocardial infarction (MI) in these patients is limited. Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging allows for the detection of minor myocardial damage.


OBJECTIVE
We tested whether patients with ICA stenosis exhibit a relevant incidence of silent MI when assessed by CMR.


METHODS
In a single-center study, 77 consecutive patients (age 68 +/- 7 years) with suspected ICA stenosis were imaged prospectively with a combined MRI protocol including T(1), T(2), diffusion-weighted imaging, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA) imaging of the brain and a short (11 min) CMR protocol with left ventricular function and late gadolinium enhancement imaging. Blinded to any clinical information, two readers evaluated the cardiac and neuroradiologic examinations.


RESULTS
Of 154 imaged ICA, 85 presented with stenosis and 17 were occluded. In 7 patients, the suspected ICA stenosis could not be confirmed by CEMRA. In the remaining 70 patients with ICA stenosis, 34.3% had cerebral lesions (15.7% with a homodynamic pattern,18.6% with territorial infarction). CMR detected MI in 29 (41%) patients, whereas ECG and medical history enabled diagnosis in only 7 (10%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
ICA stenosis patients have a higher incidence of myocardial scars proving silent MI when detected by contrast-enhanced CMR than clinically expected. Whether the presence and extent of silent MIs detected by CMR affect peri-interventional risk and prognosis of ICA stenosis patients remains to be evaluated in a large patient cohort with long-term follow-up.
Bruder
O
O
Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Elisabeth Hospital, Essen, Germany.
Göricke
S
S
Hunold
P
P
Lowitsch
M
M
Barkhausen
J
J
Sabin
G V
GV
Forsting
M
M
Fiebach
J B
JB
D000368:Aged; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014463:Ultrasonography
D005682:Gadolinium