Atherosclerotic plaque ulceration in the symptomatic internal carotid artery is associated with nonlacunar ischemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
Atherosclerotic carotid plaque ulceration is considered a marker of previous plaque rupture and subsequent thromboembolism. It can be accurately detected with multidetector CTA. We hypothesized that atherosclerotic plaque ulceration is associated with nonlacunar ischemic stroke rather than lacunar stroke.


METHODS
Prospectively, 750 consecutive patients with transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke symptoms in the anterior cerebral circulation were evaluated for the presence of atherosclerotic plaque ulceration in the symptomatic carotid artery with multidetector CTA. Patients with stroke attributable to cardiac embolism or other specific etiologies and patients with amaurosis fugax were excluded. Ischemic strokes in the remaining 534 patients were classified as nonlacunar (n=236) or lacunar (n=298) based on clinical symptoms and multidetector CT of the brain. Ulceration was defined as extension of contrast material beyond the vascular lumen into the surrounding plaque.


RESULTS
Plaque ulceration in the symptomatic carotid artery was more common in nonlacunar strokes (n=47; 20%) as compared to lacunar strokes (n=20; 7%; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, gender, cardiovascular risk factors, and degree of stenosis, ulcerations were independently associated with nonlacunar stroke compared to lacunar stroke (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-5.09).


CONCLUSIONS
Atherosclerotic carotid plaque ulceration is associated with nonlacunar ischemic stroke, independent of the degree of carotid stenosis. These results suggest that nonlacunar stroke and lacunar stroke are caused by different pathophysiological mechanisms.
Homburg
Philip J
PJ
Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Rozie
Sietske
S
van Gils
Marjon J
MJ
Jansen
Tessa
T
de Weert
Thomas T
TT
Dippel
Diederik W J
DW
van der Lugt
Aad
A
D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed