title: Atherosclerotic arterial wall change of non-stenotic intracracranial arteries on high-resolution MRI at 3.0T: Correlation with cerebrovascular risk factors and white matter hyperintensity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior to detecting intracranial arterial stenosis, atherosclerotic wall change or plaque with positive remodeling can be evaluated with high-resolution MRI (HRMRI). We prospectively evaluate atherosclerotic arterial wall change in patients without intracranial stenosis using HRMRI at 3.0T and correlate the atherosclerotic change, cerebrovascular risk factors, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were prospectively recruited for one year and underwent brain MRI, TOF-MRA and HRMRI using axial 3D T1 FSE of the intracranial arteries. After excluding patients with intracranial stenosis, two neuroradiologists graded the atherosclerotic change of the intracranial arterial wall on HRMRI and WMH using a 4-point scale. The relationship between atherosclerotic changes on HRMRI, cerebrovascular risk factors, and WMH were statistically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-three patients without intracranial arterial stenosis were finally included. Older age (p=0.000), hypertension (p=0.002), and hyperlipidemia (p=0.007) were associated with severe atherosclerotic change on HRMRI. On multivariate analysis, older age (OR: 0.114; 95% CI: 0.033-0.397; p=0.001) and hypertension (OR: 0.178; 95% CI: 0.049-0.651; p=0.009) were significantly associated with severe atherosclerotic change on HRMRI. The presence of moderate and severe WMH was associated with older age, hypertension, and severe atherosclerotic change on HRMRI. On multivariate analysis, atherosclerotic change on HRMRI remained the only variable significantly associated with WMH (OR: 0.086; 95% CI: 0.016-0461; p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older age and hypertension are significantly associated with intracranial atherosclerotic change on HRMRI. Atherosclerotic change detected on HRMRI may be the strongest risk factor for WMH than any other cerebrovascular risk factor in patients without intracranial stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Hyung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: cardijin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Gee
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hahn Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Cerebrovascular risk factor; Intracranial atherosclerosis; MRI; Vessel wall; White matter hyperintensity