Yuki Nakamura1, Yoshitaka Yamaguchi2, Naoki Makita3, Yoshiaki Morita4, Toshihiro Ide5, Shinichi Wada5, Tadataka Mizoguchi5, Hajime Ikenouchi5, Kaori Miwa5, Kenichiro Yi5, Kenichi Irie5, Shun Shimohama6, Masafumi Ihara7, Kazunori Toyoda5, Masatoshi Koga5. 1. Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan; Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. 2. Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. Electronic address: y.yamaguchi830@gmail.com. 3. Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan; Department of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. 4. Department of Radiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. 5. Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. 6. Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. 7. Department of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Data on the clinical and radiological characteristics of intracranial artery dissection (IAD) have remained limited. Our purpose was to reveal the clinical and radiological characteristics of IAD according to diagnostic criteria for IAD as recently reported by a group of international experts. METHODS: Patients were retrospectively enrolled using a prospective single-center stroke registry between 2011 and 2016. Baseline characteristics and radiological findings including conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), high-resolution 3-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (HR-3D-T1WI), and digital subtraction angiography were reviewed. We performed statistical comparisons to determine which findings from which modalities are useful. RESULTS: We identified 118 patients with suspected artery dissection, with 64 patients (median age, 51 [interquartile range, 45-56) years; 16 women) finally meeting the criteria for definite (n = 47), probable (n = 15), or possible (n = 2) idiopathic IAD. Ischemic stroke alone was found in 31 patients (48%) on admission. There were 36 patients (56%) suffering from hypertension and 39 (61%) with smoking history. The vertebral artery alone was the most affected in 42 patients (66%). Intramural hematoma (IMH) was more frequently detected on HR-3D-T1WI than on conventional MRI/MRA (odds ratio, 4.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.71-13.00). In 54 patients (84%), the modified Rankin Scale score after 3 months was 0-1. CONCLUSIONS: Male dominance and age at IAD onset were similar to previous studies, and more than half had hypertension and smoking history. We confirmed that HR-3D-T1WI is useful for detecting IMH in the diagnostic criteria.
BACKGROUND: Data on the clinical and radiological characteristics of intracranial artery dissection (IAD) have remained limited. Our purpose was to reveal the clinical and radiological characteristics of IAD according to diagnostic criteria for IAD as recently reported by a group of international experts. METHODS:Patients were retrospectively enrolled using a prospective single-center stroke registry between 2011 and 2016. Baseline characteristics and radiological findings including conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), high-resolution 3-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (HR-3D-T1WI), and digital subtraction angiography were reviewed. We performed statistical comparisons to determine which findings from which modalities are useful. RESULTS: We identified 118 patients with suspected artery dissection, with 64 patients (median age, 51 [interquartile range, 45-56) years; 16 women) finally meeting the criteria for definite (n = 47), probable (n = 15), or possible (n = 2) idiopathic IAD. Ischemic stroke alone was found in 31 patients (48%) on admission. There were 36 patients (56%) suffering from hypertension and 39 (61%) with smoking history. The vertebral artery alone was the most affected in 42 patients (66%). Intramural hematoma (IMH) was more frequently detected on HR-3D-T1WI than on conventional MRI/MRA (odds ratio, 4.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.71-13.00). In 54 patients (84%), the modified Rankin Scale score after 3 months was 0-1. CONCLUSIONS: Male dominance and age at IAD onset were similar to previous studies, and more than half had hypertension and smoking history. We confirmed that HR-3D-T1WI is useful for detecting IMH in the diagnostic criteria.