PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - F. Bala
AU  - N. Singh
AU  - F. Moreau
AU  - T.S. Field
AU  - M. Goyal
AU  - M.D. Hill
AU  - S.B. Coutts
AU  - M. Almekhlafi
TI  - Prevalence of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease in Patients with Low-Risk Transient or Persistent Neurologic Events
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A7429
DP  - 2022 Mar 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 376--380
VI  - 43
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/43/3/376.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/43/3/376.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2022 Mar 01; 43
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are limited data on the prevalence and outcome of intracranial atherosclerotic disease in patients with low-risk transient or persistent minor neurologic events. We sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with intracranial atherosclerotic disease in patients with low-risk transient or persistent neurologic events.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants with available intracranial vascular imaging from the Diagnosis of Uncertain-Origin Benign Transient Neurologic Symptoms (DOUBT) study, a large prospective multicenter cohort study, were included in this post hoc analysis. The prevalence of intracranial atherosclerotic disease of ≥50% was determined, and the association with baseline characteristics and DWI lesions was evaluated using logistic regression.RESULTS: We included 661 patients with a median age of 62 years (interquartile range, 53–70 years), of whom 53% were women. Intracranial atherosclerotic disease was found in 81 (12.3%) patients; asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease alone, in 65 (9.8%); and symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease, in 16 (2.4%). The most frequent location was in the posterior cerebral artery (29%). Age was the only factor associated with any intracranial atherosclerotic disease (adjusted OR, 1.9 for 10 years increase; 95% CI, 1.6–2.5). Multivariable logistic regression showed a strong association between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and the presence of acute infarct on MR imaging (adjusted OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.91–6.25).CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is not rare in patients with transient or persistent minor neurologic events and is independently associated with the presence of MR imaging–proved ischemia in this context. Evaluation of the intracranial arteries could be valuable in establishing the etiology of such low-risk events.ICADintracranial atherosclerotic disease