Differentiation of Deep Subcortical Infarction Using High-Resolution Vessel Wall MR Imaging of Middle Cerebral Artery

摘要

Objective To evaluate the utility of high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) of middle cerebral artery (MCA), and to compare HR-VWI findings between striatocapsular infarction (SC-I) and lenticulostriate infarction (LS-I). Materials and Methods This retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and informed consent was waived. From July 2009 to February 2012, 145 consecutive patients with deep subcortical infarctions (SC-I, n = 81; LS-I, n = 64) who underwent HR-VWI were included in this study. The degree of MCA stenosis and the characteristics of MCA plaque (presence, eccentricity, location, extent, T2-high signal intensity [T2-HSI], and plaque enhancement) were analyzed, and compared between SC-I and LS-I, using Fisher's exact test. Results Stenosis was more severe in SC-I than in LS-I ( p = 0.040). MCA plaque was more frequent in SC-I than in LS-I ( p = 0.028), having larger plaque extent ( p = 0.001), more T2-HSI ( p = 0.001), and more plaque enhancement ( p = 0.002). The eccentricity and location of the plaque showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Both SC-I and LS-I have similar HR-VWI findings of the MCA plaque, but SC-I had more frequent, larger plaques with greater T2-HSI and enhancement. This suggests that HR-VWI may have a promising role in assisting the differentiation of underlying pathophysiological mechanism between SC-I and LS-I.