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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Postmortem Study Exploring Distribution and Patterns of Intracranial Artery Calcification.
Wen-Jie Yang1, Lu Zheng2, Xiao-Hong Wu3
1From the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD (W.-J.Y.).
Intracranial artery calcification has three patterns: intimal, internal elastic lamina, and adventitial. Only intimal calcification is linked to progressive atherosclerotic lesions, serving as a marker for intracranial atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pathology
- Radiology
Background:
- Intracranial artery calcification (IAC) on computed tomography (CT) is linked to ischemic stroke and intracranial atherosclerosis.
- Histopathological details of IAC remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the histopathological patterns and distribution of intracranial calcification.
- To correlate these patterns with atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and luminal stenosis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 32 adult autopsy cases, examining middle cerebral, vertebral, and basilar arteries.
- Histological assessment of calcification patterns and their association with plaque phenotype and stenosis.
- Correlation of CT-detected calcification with histological findings.
Main Results:
- Calcification was found in 39% of segments, with intimal calcification being most common (25 segments).
- Calcification prevalence varied by artery: vertebral (51%), middle cerebral (35%), and basilar (14%).
- Intimal calcification strongly correlated with progressive atherosclerotic lesions (100%) and severe luminal stenosis (46% vs. 21%).
Conclusions:
- Intracranial artery calcification exhibits three distinct histological patterns: intimal, internal elastic lamina, and adventitial.
- Only intimal calcification is associated with progressive atherosclerotic lesions.
- Intimal calcification serves as a histological proxy for intracranial atherosclerosis.
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