title: Relations between location and type of intracranial atherosclerosis and parenchymal damage.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the relation between location and type of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) and cortical microinfarcts (CMIs) and macroinfarcts in 18 patients presenting with ischemic stroke (n = 12) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (n = 6) using 7 tesla MR imaging. The protocol included: 3D T2-weighted FLAIR and 3D T1-weighted Magnetization-Preparation Inversion Recovery Turbo Spin Echo sequence. ICAS lesions and infarcts were scored by two raters. The relation between ICAS lesions, calculated ratios of ICAS lesion characteristics, location, and infarcts were examined using linear regression analyses. A total number of 75 ICAS lesions (all patients), 101 CMIs (78% of patients), and 31 macroinfarcts (67% of patients) were found. Seventy-six and sixty-five percent of the CMIs and macroinfarcts, respectively, were found in the same vascular territory as the ICAS lesions (p = 0.977, p = 0.167, respectively). A positive correlation existed between the number of macroinfarcts and CMIs (p < 0.05). In patients with macroinfarcts, we found more concentric (p < 0.01) and diffuse (p < 0.05) type of ICAS lesions. A high prevalence of brain tissue lesions, both macroinfarcts and CMIs, were found in patients with ICAS. Macroinfarcts were found to be related to specific ICAS lesion types. The type of ICAS lesion seems to be promising as a marker for ICAS patients at higher risk of future infarcts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands n.dieleman@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dieleman
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anja G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van der Kolk
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jaco J M
authors.initials: JJM
authors.lastname: Zwanenburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brundel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anita A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Harteveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geert J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Biessels
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands Philips Healthcare, Best, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fredy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Luijten
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendrikse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Intracranial atherosclerosis; MRI; cortical microinfarcts; ischemic stroke; macroinfarcts; transient ischemic attack; vessel wall