Middle cerebral artery occlusive disease: the New England Medical Center Stroke Registry

To analyze the clinical features, vascular lesions, and infarct distribution in Asian and white patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory ischemia, we studied age, sex, race, risk factors, angiographic, and neuroimaging findings among patients in the New England Medical Center Stroke Registry. We included patients with well-defined intrinsic occlusive lesions of the MCAs and patients with embolic MCA territory infarcts. Among 695 patients in the stroke registry, 89 (12.8%) qualified. They had 28 MCA intrinsic stenoses, 17 MCA embolic occlusions (cardiogenic or unknown origin), and 44 carotid artery (CA) stenoses or occlusions. MCA intrinsic disease patients were more often Asians and women, and more often had hypertension. Asians were older than whites. Coronary artery disease (27%), peripheral vascular disease (20.5%), and smoking (39%) were more common in CA disease patients. The most common site of MCA intrinsic stenosis (78%) and embolic occlusion (59%) was the mainstem MCA. Infarcts in patients with MCA intrinsic disease mostly involved the striatocapsular area (61%). Infarcts in patients with MCA embolic occlusion (75%) and CA disease (43%) most often involved the parietal lobe. In our hospital, most patients with MCA intrinsic disease are Asians and women and have hypertension and striatocapsular infarctions. Asian patients are usually older than white patients. The most common site of vascular lesions is the mainstem MCA.