title: Association of incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis with the occurrence of lacunes in the basal ganglia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis affects the occurrence of lacunes in the basal ganglia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and seventy-seven healthy individuals examined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR angiography were divided into eight subgroups according to our new classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that healthy individuals with incompleteness of the anterior circle of Willis had significantly higher frequency of lacunes [odds ratio (OR): 2.121, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.477-3.108; or OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.377-4.384 in cases without or with fetal type posterior communicating artery, respectively] and higher numbers of lacunes (P < 0.001 or P < 0.001 in cases without or with fetal type posterior communicating artery, respectively) compared to patients with complete circle of Willis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incompleteness of the anterior part of the circle of Willis significantly affected the occurrence of lacunes.
authors: Department of PET Center, Kofu Neurosurgical Hospital, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. nobu_miya9311@yahoo.co.jp
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Miyazawa
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Shinohara
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Yamagata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D020144:Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D059409:Stroke, Lacunar / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology