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Intracranial Arterial Calcification and Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Close but Different
Heng Du1, Jia Li2, Wenjie Yang3
1Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Frontiers in Neurology
|February 25, 2022
Summary
Intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) patterns differ in stroke patients. Intimal IAC is more strongly linked to atherosclerosis markers like stenosis and plaque burden than medial IAC.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Cardiovascular Disease
Background:
- Intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) can affect intimal or medial layers.
- Understanding IAC's link to intracranial atherosclerosis is crucial for stroke risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between intimal and medial IAC patterns and markers of intracranial atherosclerosis.
- To compare the characteristics of intimal versus medial IAC in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multi-detector computed tomography (CT) and vessel-wall magnetic resonance imaging (vwMRI) in acute ischemic stroke patients.
- Analyzed IAC patterns (intimal vs. medial) and assessed atherosclerotic markers including luminal stenosis, plaque burden, eccentricity, and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH).
Main Results:
- IAC was found in 35% of analyzed artery segments, with intimal calcification being more prevalent (61.5%).
- Intimal IAC showed a stronger association with atherosclerotic plaques (79.8%) compared to medial IAC (64.5%).
- Intimal IAC was significantly linked to luminal stenosis, larger plaque burden, plaque eccentricity, and intraplaque hemorrhage.
Conclusions:
- Intimal IAC is more frequently associated with significant atherosclerotic disease markers than medial IAC.
- Findings support the clinical significance of differentiating IAC patterns for evaluating stroke mechanisms, risks, and prognosis.
Keywords:
computed tomographyintracranial arterial calcificationintracranial atherosclerotic diseaseplaque morphologyvessel-wall magnetic resonance imagingMore Related Videos
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