Advanced

AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Babiarz, L. S. Articles by Wasserman, B. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Babiarz, L. S. Articles by Wasserman, B. A.

American Journal of Neuroradiology 26:1505-1511, June-July 2005
© 2005 American Society of Neuroradiology

BRAIN

Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction: Relationship of Cavernous Carotid Artery Calcification

Lukasz S. Babiarz^a, David M. Yousem^a, Warren Bilker^b and Bruce A. Wasserman^a

^a Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
^b University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Philadelphia

Address reprint requests to David M. Yousem, MD, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Phipps B-112, Baltimore, MD 21287

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine whether calcification of the cavernous carotid artery (CCA) is associated with cerebrovascular infarcts in the same way that coronary artery calcification scores indicate myocardial infarctions. We sought to correlate the grade of CCA calcification with infarctions in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) distribution.

METHODS: Nonenhanced brain CT scans of 40 patients with MCA-distribution strokes, 34 with non-MCA–distribution strokes, and 94 age-matched control subjects were reviewed. Circumferential calcification and thickness of calcification were graded for the CCAs on head CT scans. Scores were determined for the left and right CCAs. Mann-Whitney tests and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to detect differences between patients and control subjects and between patients with MCA and those with non-MCA strokes.

RESULTS: CCA calcification scores did not significantly differ in the groups compared. The manner in which calcification was scored (by using circumference, thickness, or both) did not affect the results. No difference was noted between scores ipsilateral and those contralateral to the stroke.

CONCLUSION: Circumferential degree or thickness of cavernous artery calcification was not correlated with MCA or non-MCA infarctions. CCA calcification scores did not differ between patients with stroke and those without stroke.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J.-M. Bugnicourt, J.-M. Chillon, Z. A Massy, S. Canaple, C. Lamy, H. Deramond, and O. Godefroy High Prevalence of Intracranial Artery Calcification in Stroke Patients with CKD: A Retrospective Study Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., February 1, 2009; 4(2): 284 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T.T. de Weert, H. Cakir, S. Rozie, S. Cretier, E. Meijering, D.W.J. Dippel, and A. van der Lugt Intracranial Internal Carotid Artery Calcifications: Association with Vascular Risk Factors and Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2009; 30(1): 177 - 184. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]