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Are arterial calcifications a marker of remodeling in vertebrobasilar territory?

Slaven Pikija1, Jozef Magdic, Alenka Knific

  • 1From the Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.

Stroke
|January 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Calcifications in the vertebrobasilar artery are common in stroke patients. These vessel calcifications are linked to older age, larger artery size, and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack history.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Intracranial atherosclerosis significantly contributes to stroke incidence.
  • Vessel calcifications on computed tomography (CT) scans may indicate intracranial atherosclerosis burden.
  • Vertebrobasilar artery calcifications are associated with known stroke risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between calcifications in the intracranial vertebrobasilar artery and stroke.
  • To determine if CT-assessed calcifications correlate with standard stroke risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 449 consecutive stroke patients.
  • Assessment of intracranial vertebrobasilar artery calcifications using native CT scans.
  • Calculation of vessel area and recording of standard stroke risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Calcifications were observed in 54.6% of patients.
  • Calcifications showed a positive association with advanced age (OR 1.04, P<0.001).
  • Larger total vessel area (OR 1.01, P<0.001) and prior transient ischemic attack/stroke (OR 1.82, P=0.024) were also associated with calcifications.

Conclusions:

  • Calcifications in the vertebrobasilar artery territory are prevalent in stroke patients.
  • These calcifications are significantly associated with advanced age, larger arterial dimensions, and a history of transient ischemic attack or stroke.
Abstract

Keywords:
basilar arteryintracranial atherosclerosisstrokevertebral artery

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