Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
Department of Neurology, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Sci Rep. 2024 May 17;14(1):11318. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-61527-z.
The effect of arterial tortuosity on intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of global intracranial arterial tortuosity on intracranial atherosclerotic burden in patients with ischemic stroke. We included patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and classified them into three groups according to the ICAS burden. Global tortuosity index (GTI) was defined as the standardized mean curvature of the entire intracranial arteries, measured by in-house vessel analysis software. Of the 516 patients included, 274 patients had no ICAS, 140 patients had a low ICAS burden, and 102 patients had a high ICAS burden. GTI increased with higher ICAS burden. After adjustment for age, sex, vascular risk factors, and standardized mean arterial area, GTI was independently associated with ICAS burden (adjusted odds ratio [adjusted OR] 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.62). The degree of association increased when the arterial tortuosity was analyzed limited to the basal arteries (adjusted OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.22-1.81). We demonstrated that GTI is associated with ICAS burden in patients with ischemic stroke, suggesting a role for global arterial tortuosity in ICAS.
动脉迂曲对颅内动脉粥样硬化（ICAS）的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在评估全脑动脉迂曲程度对缺血性脑卒中患者颅内粥样硬化负担的影响。我们纳入了接受磁共振血管造影（MRA）检查的急性缺血性脑卒中患者，并根据 ICAS 负担将其分为三组。全脑迂曲指数（GTI）定义为整个颅内动脉的标准化平均曲率，通过内部血管分析软件进行测量。在 516 名患者中，274 名患者无 ICAS，140 名患者 ICAS 负担低，102 名患者 ICAS 负担高。GTI 随 ICAS 负担的增加而增加。在校正年龄、性别、血管危险因素和标准化平均动脉面积后，GTI 与 ICAS 负担独立相关（校正比值比[校正 OR] 1.33；95%置信区间[CI] 1.09-1.62）。当仅分析基底动脉的动脉迂曲程度时，相关性程度增加（校正 OR 1.48；95%CI 1.22-1.81）。我们表明，GTI 与缺血性脑卒中患者的 ICAS 负担相关，提示全脑动脉迂曲在 ICAS 中起作用。
