Prevalence and characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque: Left compared with right arteries and anterior compared with posterior circulation stroke.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nTo evaluate atherosclerotic plaque prevalence and characteristics between left and right cervicocephalic arteries and between anterior and posterior circulation stroke (ACS and PCS).\n\n\nMETHODS\nThis retrospective study included 284 patients with acute ischemic stroke (199 ACS and 85 PCS) involving large-artery atherosclerosis or small-artery occlusion. We assessed atherosclerotic plaque prevalence and characteristics (plaque type, plaque surface morphology, plaque distribution, location of calcified nodules and plaque thickness) in each segment and their comparisons between left and right arteries and between ACS and PCS.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe left subclavian artery (L-SA), common carotid artery (L-CCA) and intracranial vertebral artery (L-IVA) had significantly higher prevalence of atherosclerotic plaque than the right (R) corresponding arteries (70.1% versus 59.5%, P\xa0=\xa00.008), (48.1% versus 28.9%, P\xa0<\xa00.001), (23.9% versus 16%, P\xa0=\xa00.018), respectively. L-SA had a higher prevalence of mixed plaque (non-calcified\xa0>\xa0calcified) (19.6% versus 16.4%) and noncalcified plaque (51.9% versus 31.7%), and a lower prevalence of calcified plaque (8.9% versus 23.3%) and mixed plaque (calcified\xa0>\xa0non-calcified) (19.6% versus 28.6%) than R-SA, P\xa0<\xa00.001. The distribution of plaque type in the SA and extracranial vertebral artery (EVA) were significantly different between ACS and PCS. The soft plaque thickness of SA in PCS was significantly greater than that in ACS (3.85\xa0±\xa01.27 versus 3.51\xa0±\xa01.04, P\xa0=\xa00.032).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nAtherosclerotic plaque prevalence and characteristics vary in different segments, sides and between ACS and PCS. These differences should be noted during plaque diagnosis.