title: Progressing small vessel pontine infarction includes different etiologies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of progressing stroke of pontine infarction as small vessel disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enrolled 38 acute pontine infarctions were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography at the first and seventh days. Ten patients (26.3%) presented progression (NIH Stroke Scale ≥2 increase within 72 h).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Progressing patients showed no relation to the size and the distribution of lesion. Expansion of ischemic lesion showed correlation with basilar artery atherosclerosis. Stable lesion related to delayed worsening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that progressing stroke may be caused by not only the worsening of blood flow of ischemic lesion but also delayed neuronal death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Science, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Taizen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakase
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Science, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Science, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Science, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Akifumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki