title: Evaluation of CT angiography for visualisation of the lenticulostriate artery: difference between normotensive and hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-resolution CT angiography (CTA) is currently available using multidetector row CT (MDCT); however, its use for small artery visualisation has been limited. To evaluate its capability, we investigated CTA visualisation for difference in number of the lenticulostriate artery (LSA) branches between normotensive and hypertensive patients, because hypertension is a major cause of LSA damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study evaluating cerebrovascular CTA at our hospital conducted from February 2008 to June 2009 under approval of the institutional review board. 117 patients (39 males and 78 females, 19-88 years old) were included. CTA was conducted using a 64 channel MDCT. Total numbers of LSA branches were examined for differences by age with regression analysis and the presence or absence of hypertension and/or aneurysm using two-sample t-tests. A p-value <0.016 was considered statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. A multiple variable analysis of three factors was also conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of LSA branches was 3.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.0-4.1] and 4.4 (95% CI 4.1-4.7), respectively, for a patient with and without history of hypertension, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.013). The difference was approximately one branch in the multiple variable analysis. No significant correlation was observed for age and no significant difference was observed for the presence or absence of aneurysms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrast-enhanced CTA can visualise significant differences in the number of LSA branches among patients with and without hypertension. Advances in knowledge Current high-resolution CTA can visualise LSA well, which enables finding a difference in the LSA between normotensive subjects and hypertensive patients.
authors: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Gotoh
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Okada
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Satogami
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Yakami
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Takahashi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Yoshida
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ishii
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Tanaka
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Miyamoto
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Togashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011699:Putamen / Q000098:blood supply*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media