PATTERNS OF INTRACRANIAL ARTERY CALCIFICATION AND DIFFERENCE IN PLAQUE MORPHOLOGY AMONG STROKE PATIENTS (ID 1235)
Abstract
Background And Aims
Previous studies suggest that intracranial artery calcification (IAC) mainly consists of intimal and medial pattern and might differ in the outcome of treatment. By subtyping IAC into intimal and medial pattern, this study aimed to investigate their latent difference in intracranial plaque morphology among stroke patients.
Methods
Consecutive patients diagnosed as acute ischemic stroke were recruited. Bilateral intracranial internal carotid arteries, middle cerebral arteries, vertebral arteries and basilar arteries were examined by computer tomography and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging within 14 days after stroke onset. IAC was grouped as intimal and medial pattern. Atherosclerotic plaque corresponding to each IAC site was calculated, including plaque burden, eccentricity and the prevalence of intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH). Arteries without calcification were regarded as control.
Results
128 out of 392 artery segments among 56 patients had IAC, including 61.7% predominantly intimal and 38.3% predominantly medial. 81.0% of intimal calcifications and 57.1% of medial calcifications coexisted with plaque. Compared to that in medial calcification or control, plaque burden in intimal calcification was higher (p<0.05, respectively). Eccentric plaque more frequently coexisted with intimal calcifications than medial calcifications (65.6% vs. 42.9%, p=0.041) or controls (65.6% vs 42.1%, p=0.02). Similar results were found in the prevalence of IPH (40.6% vs. 7.1% and 10.5%; p=0.001, respectively).
Conclusions
Intimal and medial calcification corelate with different intracranial atherosclerotic plaque morphologies. The intimal calcification more prevalently coexist with higher plaque burden, eccentric plaque and intraplaque hemorrhage than medial calcification while plaque morphology of the latter one is similar to that of non-calcified intracranial arteries.
