Correlation of the characteristics of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic plaques with stroke types and risk of stroke recurrence: a cohort study

Abstract

Background: Symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS) patients had a higher risk of stroke recurrence, and the risk of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) was higher than transient ischemic attack (TIA). Therefore, it is important to explore the risk factors associated with sICAS clinical subtypes and the risk of stroke recurrence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between intracranial arterial culprit plaque characteristics with sICAS clinical subtypes and the risk of stroke recurrence. Methods: A total of 206 patients with sICAS were included. Baseline demographic data and relevant serologic indices were collected from all participants. All participants were assessed by high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) for culprit vessel and culprit plaque characteristics. The follow-up method was outpatient or telephone follow-up. Associated factors for sICAS clinical subtypes were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to analysis the independent risk factors for recurrent stroke. Results: =16.472, P=0.003) was higher in the posterior circulation than in the anterior circulation. Conclusions: The characteristics of intracranial arterial culprit plaques were independent risk factors for recurrent stroke, and there were differences in the plaque characteristics of anterior and posterior circulation. Early HR-VWI examination for sICAS patients is of great significance for patient risk stratification and personalized management.