title: Prevalence and Characteristics of Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms in Ischemic Stroke Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of unruptured cerebral aneurysms (UCAs) in ischemic stroke patients is not clearly defined. This study aimed to measure the prevalence and characteristics of UCAs in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and to compare our findings with those of the general population. In addition, we investigated the factors associated with cerebral aneurysms in AIS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the brain magnetic resonance angiography images of 955 patients with AIS and 2,118 controls who had received a brain magnetic resonance angiography as part of a health check-up. We investigated the prevalence, size, location, and risk factors of the subjects in the context of UCAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UCAs were found in 74 patients with AIS (7.7%) and in 79 who received a health check-up (3.7%). The prevalence of UCAs was significantly higher in the AIS group than in the health check-up group (odds ratio 2.17, 95% confidence interval 1.56-3.01). The mean aneurysm diameter was larger in the AIS group than in the health check-up group (3.75 mm vs. 3.02 mm,P=0.009). UCAs were primarily located in the internal carotid artery in both groups, and aneurysms in the middle cerebral artery were particularly common in the AIS group. According to multivariate analysis, hypertension alone was associated with an increased prevalence of UCAs in stroke patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified a higher prevalence and larger size of UCAs in AIS patients than in the general population. Hypertension was an independent risk factor of UCA in AIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: cDepartment of Neurosurgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joonho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeo-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Yul
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Cerebral aneurysm; Ischemic stroke; Magnetic resonance angiography; Prevalence