The metabolic syndrome represents a complex combination of the symptoms obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipoproteinemia. Insulin resistance is the major pathophysiologjcal basis of the metabolic syndrome. There is a close association between the metabolic syndrome and its various components and vascular cognitive impairment. This article briefly reviews the mechanisms of metabolic syndrome caused vascular cognitive impairment, and summarizes the significance of controlling metabolic syndrome on the prevention and treatment of vascular cognitive impairment.

Cervical arterial dissection is an important cause resulting in stroke, particularly in young adults. The clinical manifestation of cervical arterial dissection may be various, and imaging examinations have a great value in the diagnosis of cervical arterial dissection. At present, anticoagulation and anti-platelet aggregation are the most important medication, while intravascular intervention is a new option for patients failed to respond to medical treatment. This article reviews the recent progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical arterial dissection.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in children has been previously regarded as a rare cerebrovascular disease. With the development of neuroimaging, we have more knowledge and understanding about CVST in children. The etiologies of CVST can be divided into infectious and noninfectious. Its clinical manifestations are various and lack of specificity. These characteristics make the clinical diagnosis of CVST have some difficulties.Now, it is considered that in combination with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance venography is the best means of diagnosis of CVST. Anticoagulation is the preferred treatment for CVST. Interventional thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy or decompressive craniotomy can be used for children whose symptoms continue to deteriorate after systematic anticoagulation therapy. The prognosis of CVST is relatively good if it is diagnosed and treated in time.

Objective To evaluate the effect of ?-lipoic acid(ALA)as a antioxidant on the histomorphologic changes of the kidney in type 2 diabetic Goto Kakisaki rats.Methods Four healthy Wistar rats(normal control group)and 10 GK rats were divided randomly into two groups:diabetic control group and lipoic acid-treatment diabetic group(?-lipoic acid 35 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection qd alt),who were both fed for 12 weeks.Indexes of oxidative stress of kidney were measured.Sections of renal tissue were evaluated using both a light and electron microscope to assess histomorphologic changes.Paraffin sections of the left kidneys were prepared and stained with H&E,PAS and Masson stains to compare the histomorphologic changes.The image analysis software of Motic Image Advanced 3.1 was used to measure the area of glomerulus and mesangial region,and the thickness of the glomerular basement membrane(GBM).Results Compared with normal control group,there were significant decreases in GSH,SOD,VitC and VitE levels in diabetic control group.The kidneys of the normal control group exhibited normal cortical morphology as determined by light microscope.Mild glomerulosclerosis,characterized by widening of the mesangial region,mesangial expansion and intercapillary cells proliferation,and GBM thickening under electron microscope were observed in the diabetic control group.In the ALA-treatment group,all the above pathological changes were alleviated.Conclusion In the kidney of type 2 diabetic rat,there exists oxidative stress which is associated with diabetic nephropathy.?-Lipoic acid can alleviate the abnormal histomorphologic changes of the kidney via antioxidative effects.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and lecukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a recently described neurovascular disease affecting young to middle aged individuals. The disease is caused by mutations in the Notch3 gene located in the long arm of chromosome 19. The disease clinically is characterized by migrainous headaches ,mood disturbances, focal neurologic deficits, transient ischemic attaches, strokes and dementia. Pathologically, the disease is characterized by a stereotypic degeneration of the arterial walls with deposition in the media of a nonatheromatous,(nonamyloidotic) substance that under the electron microscope (EM) appears as a granular osmiophilic material (GOM). A review of current literature is presented concerning the clinical, radiological, pathologic and genetic feature of CADASIL.

arotid artery stenosis is a common clnical disease, and its treatment includes drug therapy, carotid endarterectomy and carotid angioplasty and stenting. This article reviews the advances in the management of carotid artery stenosis.

Carotid atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemie stroke. Understanding the compositions of carotid plaque arid preventing plaque rupture are of importance to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Magnetic resornance imaging (MRI) is noninvasive, highly reproducible, does not involve exposure to ionizing radiation. It is one of the most potential imaging tools for carotid atherosclerotic plaques. This article reviews the application of MRI in the imaging of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Endovascular intervention is an effective method in the treatment of cerebrovascular stenosis. With the advancement of techniques and improvement of equipment, the application area of this treatment is expanding and the number of patients treated is increasing. Accordingly, the use of contrast media is improving continuously in endovascular intervention. An increasing number of contrast media-related complications have also been reported. This paper briefly reviews the contrast media-related complications and their management in endovascular intervention.

Intracranial stentosis is one of the important causes of ischemic stroke. In recently years, with the continuously development of endovascular intervention, angioplasty and stenting have become effective treatment options for intracranial stenosis. However, the indications, technical points, complications and prognosis of this treatment remain to be investigated and explored.

Approximately one-quarter of ischemic stroke occurred in vertebrobasilar artery system. Atherosclerotic vertebrobasilar artery stenosis is one of the major causes of posterior circulation stroke. In addition to the conventional medical and surgical treatment, endovascular intervention has received more and more attention, and it has become the most promising therapeutic approach.