Modified Magnetic Resonance Imaging Burden of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Related Risk Factors in Patients With
Xiuying Liu1, Kunling Yang, Lanfeng Sun
1Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Insights
Patients with thalassemia show a greater burden of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on MRI, especially in perivascular spaces (PVS). Aging is a key factor exacerbating these CSVD changes in thalassemia patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Hematology
- Radiology
Background:
- Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder.
- Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) affects small blood vessels in the brain.
- The impact of thalassemia on CSVD burden is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and severity of CSVD in thalassemia patients using MRI.
- To identify risk factors associated with CSVD in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data and MRI scans from thalassemia patients and age/sex-matched controls.
- Assessment of modified MRI burden of CSVD, including infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, lacunae, perivascular spaces (PVS), and brain atrophy.
Main Results:
- Thalassemia patients exhibited higher PVS and modified MRI burden scores compared to controls.
- No significant differences in sex, age, or common cerebrovascular risk factors were observed between groups.
- Increased age correlated with a more severe CSVD burden in thalassemia patients.
Conclusions:
- Thalassemia patients have a significantly higher modified MRI burden of CSVD, particularly PVS.
- Aging is a critical risk factor contributing to CSVD progression in individuals with thalassemia.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the burden of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in patients with thalassemia and related risk factors.
Methods:
The clinical data and MRI of patients with thalassemia were retrospectively analyzed, and non-thalassemia controls with matched sex and age were selected. The modified MRI burden of CSVD included recent small subcortical infarct, presumed vasogenic white matter hyperintensity, presumed vasogenic lacunae, perivascular space (PVS), and brain atrophy.
Results:
This study included 110 patients in each of the thalassemia and control groups. There was no significant difference in sex, age, and common cerebrovascular disease risk factors between the 2 groups. The patients with thalassemia had a higher red blood cell count and lower content of hemoglobin. The PVS and modified MRI burden scores in the thalassemia group were higher than in the control group. With the increase in age, patients with thalassemia have a more severe CSVD burden.
Conclusion:
Patients with thalassemia have a heavier modified MRI burden of CSVD than non-thalassemia patients, particularly PVS, and aging is an important risk factor for CSVD changes.
