Visualization of lenticulostriate artery by intracranial dark-blood vessel wall imaging and its relationships with lacunar infarction in basal ganglia: a retrospective study

• Published in: European radiology Vol. 31; no. 8; pp. 5629 - 5639
• Main Authors: Xie, Weiwei, Wang, Chen, Liu, Song, Tang, Ruowei, Chai, Shengting, Guo, Yu, Qian, Tianyi, Chang, Binge, Yang, Qi, Fan, Zhaoyang, Xia, Shuang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Arteries; Atherosclerosis; Basal ganglia; Blood vessels; Carotid arteries; Diagnostic Radiology; Drinking; Ganglia; Hospitals; Image resolution; Imaging; Infarction; Internal Medicine; Interventional Radiology; Investigations; Magnetic Resonance; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neuroradiology; Plaques; Radiology; Regression analysis; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Stroke; Ultrasound; Veins & arteries; Visualization; Stroke; Intracranial atherosclerosis; Lenticulostriate vasculopathy; Lacunar infarct; Magnetic resonance imaging
• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-020-07642-7
• ISSN: 0938-7994

Objectives There is close relationship between lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) and lacunar infarctions (LIs) of the basal ganglia. The study aims to visualize the LSAs using high-resolution vessel wall imaging (VWI) on 3T system and explore the correlation between LSAs and LIs. Methods Fifty-six patients with LIs in basal ganglia, and 44 age-matched control patients were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. The raw VWI images were reformatted into coronal slices in minimum intensity projection for further observation of LSAs. The risk factors of LIs in basal ganglia were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The correlation and linear regression analysis between the LSAs and LIs, ipsilateral MCA-M1 plaques were investigated. Results The total number ( p < 0.01) and length ( p < 0.01) of LSAs were statistically different between basal ganglias with and without LIs. The total number of LSAs and ipsilateral MCA-M1 plaques were independently related to LIs in basal ganglias. The mean length of LSAs were negatively correlated with number ( r = − 0.33, p = 0.002) and volume ( r = − 0.37, p = 0.001) of LIs. Age, drinking history, and mean length of LSAs were associated with LI occurrence in basal ganglia, and mean length of LSAs was correlated with larger volume of LIs. Conclusions Number of LSA reduction and ipsilateral MCA-M1 plaques were associated with the presence of LIs in basal ganglias. Age increasing, drinking history, and shorter LSAs were correlated with the increasing of LIs. Key Points • Patients with LIs tend to have shorter LSAs. • The characteristics of LSAs and ipsilateral MCA-M1 plaques are associated with LIs in basal ganglias. • Age, drinking history, and mean length of LSAs are correlated with LI features in basal ganglias.