title: Correlation between ABCD, ABCD2 scores and craniocervical artery stenosis in patients with transient ischemic attack.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Craniocervical artery stenosis is an important etiology for transient ischemic attack (TIA). We hypothesized ABCD and ABCD2 scores can predict craniocervical artery stenosis in patients with TIA.
  
  
  METHODS
  ABCD and ABCD2 scores were calculated in a total of 479 consecutive first-ever TIA patients in Nanjing Stroke Registry Program and compared with angiographic imaging derived from MRI or invasive catheter-based angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall craniocervical artery (O-CA) stenosis was found in 197 (41.1%) patients. Extracranial craniocervical artery (E-CA) and intracranial craniocervical artery (I-CA) stenosis was found in 101 (21.1%) and 110 (23%) cases, respectively. ABCD and ABCD2 scores with similar accuracy for O-CA (AUCABCD 0.71, AUCABCD2 0.70), E-CA (AUCABCD 0.72, AUCABCD2 0.72) and I-CA stenosis (AUCABCD 0.62, AUCABCD2 0.62) were both independent predictors for various categories of artery stenosis after being adjusted for non-ABCD2 parameters. The cut-off points were equally 4 in both predicting rules. For ABCD, sensitivity was 57.4, 65.3 and 52.7% and specificity 77.0, 70.4 and 67.5% for O-CA/E-CA/I-CA, respectively. For ABCD2, sensitivity was 61.9, 69.3 and 58.2% and specificity 72.3, 65.6 and 63.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with TIA, despite an association between ABCD and ABCD2 scores and underlying craniocervical artery stenosis, the clinical utility was limited by unsatisfactory sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jiafei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Yunyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Zhixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yongkun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wusheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Gelin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xinfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis