title: Volumetric Analysis of Carotid Plaque Components and Cerebral Microbleeds: A Correlative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this work was to explore the association between carotid plaque volume (total and the subcomponents) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two consecutive (male 53; median age 64) patients were retrospectively analyzed. Carotid arteries were studied by using a 16-detector-row computed tomography scanner whereas brain was explored with a 1.5 Tesla system. CMBs were studied using a T2*-weighted gradient-recalled echo sequence. CMBs were classified as from absent (grade 1) to severe (grade 4). Component types of the carotid plaque were defined according to the following Hounsfield unit (HU) ranges: lipid less than 60 HU; fibrous tissue from 60 to 130 HU; calcification greater than 130 HU, and plaque volumes of each component were calculated. Each carotid artery was analyzed by 2 observers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of CMBs was 35.3%. A statistically significant difference was observed between symptomatic (40%) and asymptomatic (11%) patients (P value = .001; OR = 6.07). Linear regression analysis demonstrated an association between the number of CMBs and the symptoms (P = .0018). Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis found an association between the carotid plaque subcomponents and CMBs (Az= .608, .621, and .615 for calcified, lipid, and mixed components, respectively), and Mann-Whitney test confirmed this association in particular for the lipid components (P value = .0267).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study confirm the association between CMBs and symptoms and that there is an increased number of CMBs in symptomatic patients. Moreover, we found that an increased volume of the fatty component is associated with the presence and number of CMBs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: lucasaba@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University la Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: di Martino
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montisci
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierleone
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lucatelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anzidei
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Francone
authors.affiliation: Point-of-Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., Roseville, CA, USA; Stroke Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint™, Roseville, CA, 95661, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Idaho (Affl.), Pocatello, ID, USA.
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed
keywords: CTA; Cerebral microbleeds; MRI; carotid artery plaque