Yoshida Kensaku, Ishimoto Reo, Nakajima Mikio, Higo Takuma
Neurosurgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital, Tokyo, JPN.
Neurosurgery, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 8;17(8):e89645. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89645. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Vascular calcification represents ectopic deposition of calcium phosphate in the arterial wall. Component analysis of calcifications using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has helped to elucidate arteriosclerosis, but reports examining carotid calcified plaque remain lacking. The present study qualitatively evaluated calcifications using DECT in patients with stroke in our institution.
We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study based on data obtained from the medical charts of inpatients admitted to Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital between March 1 and August 31, 2024. We focused on calcified lesions of carotid plaques on plain CT. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of monosodium urate (MSU) in carotid plaques, and in cases where MSU was present, they were further divided into unilateral or bilateral cases. We then analyzed associations between patient background and MSU in carotid plaque.
During the study period, 55 patients were admitted to our facility. Among these, 26 patients with calcified carotid plaque who underwent neck CT were included in this study. Median age was 79 years (interquartile range, 72-85 years) and 17 patients (65.4%) were male. Twenty-three patients (88.7%) were positive for MSU, comprising 10 patients (38.5%) with bilateral lesions and 13 (50%) with unilateral lesions. Patients with hypertension were more likely to show MSU-positive calcified plaque (p = 0.034).
We qualitatively evaluated carotid plaques using DECT in patients with stroke. These findings suggest a potential role of MSU in carotid plaque formation among stroke patients. Future studies should investigate the clinical significance of these findings and potential therapeutic implications.
血管钙化是指磷酸钙在动脉壁的异位沉积。利用双能计算机断层扫描（DECT）对钙化进行成分分析有助于阐明动脉硬化，但关于颈动脉钙化斑块的研究报告仍然缺乏。本研究使用DECT对我院中风患者的钙化情况进行了定性评估。
我们进行了一项单中心回顾性队列研究，数据来源于2024年3月1日至8月31日在东京都广尾医院住院患者的病历。我们重点关注普通CT上颈动脉斑块的钙化病变。根据颈动脉斑块中是否存在尿酸钠（MSU）将患者分为两组，对于存在MSU的病例，进一步分为单侧或双侧病例。然后我们分析了患者背景与颈动脉斑块中MSU之间的关联。
在研究期间，55名患者入住我院。其中，26例接受颈部CT检查且有颈动脉钙化斑块的患者纳入本研究。中位年龄为79岁（四分位间距，72 - 85岁），17例患者（65.4%）为男性。23例患者（88.7%）MSU呈阳性，其中10例（38.5%）为双侧病变，13例（50%）为单侧病变。高血压患者更有可能出现MSU阳性钙化斑块（p = 0.034）。
我们使用DECT对中风患者的颈动脉斑块进行了定性评估。这些发现提示MSU在中风患者颈动脉斑块形成中可能发挥作用。未来的研究应调查这些发现的临床意义及潜在的治疗意义。
