Objective:To investigate the correlation between vascular wall characteristics and ischemic stroke and its mechanism in patients with atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis.Methods:Patients with atherosclerotic MCA stenosis received high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) in Shenzhen Bao'an District People's Hospital from November 2017 to November 2018 were enrolled retrospectively. The imaging characteristics, such as the lumen and vessel diameter and vessel wall area at the narrowest level of MCA plaque, plaque load, remodeling index, and plaque enhancement rate were measured. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the independent risk factors for stroke in patients with atherosclerotic MCA stenosis. Results:A total of 53 patients with atherosclerotic MCA stenosis were enrolled, aged (53.5±9.7) years, 28 were male (52.8 %). There were 28 in the stroke group and 25 in the non-stroke group. Thirteen patients were artery-artery embolization, 15 were non-artery-artery embolization; 39 were mild stenosis, and 14 were moderate to severe stenosis. Compared with the non-stroke group, the moderate to severe stenosis was more common in the stroke group ( P=0.010), the plaque load was greater ( P=0.006), and the remodeling index was lower ( P=0.010). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the remodeling index was an independent risk factor for stroke in patients with atherosclerotic MCA stenosis (odds ratio 0.002, 95% confidence interval 0.000-0.952; P=0.048). Compared with the non-artery-artery embolization group, the mean thickness of MCA was larger in the artery-artery embolization group ( P=0.037). Compared with the mild stenosis group, the plaque load was greater ( P=0.001), the plaque enhancement rate was higher ( P=0.004), and remodeling index was lower ( P<0.001) in the moderate to severe MCA stenosis group. Conclusions:In the atherosclerotic MCA stroke group, patients with moderate to severe stenosis are more common, with greater plaque load and lower remodeling index. Remodeling index is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Patients with moderate to severe MCA stenosis have a higher plaque enhancement rate and a lower remodeling index, suggesting that the vessel wall inflammatory response is more significant and had decompensation. HR-VWI is expected to be used to assess the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke events.

Objective:To explore the value of enhancement rate of aneurysm wall by high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) in assessing the risk of intracranial aneurysm rupture.Methods:Seventy patients with 80 intracranial aneurysms, admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to December 2019, were chosen in our study; morphological parameters (shape, neck width, height, diameter) of the intracranial aneurysms, and signal intensity and enhancement rate of aneurysm wall were collected from HR-VWI. These patients were divided into a high-risk rupture group (PHASES scores>3) and a low-risk rupture group (PHASES scores≤3) according to PHASES scores. Univariate analysis was used to compare the differences of clinical data (age, gender, blood pressure, blood lipids, and smoking history) and aneurysm imaging data between the two groups of patients. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to determine the independent influencing factors for aneurysm rupture, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of enhancement rate of aneurysm wall in predicting aneurysm rupture was drew to determine the best diagnostic value.Results:Univariate analysis showed that the percentages of patients with hypertension, multiple aneurysms and irregular aneurysm morphology, aneurysm height, aneurysm diameter and aneurysm wall enhancement rate were significantly different between the high-risk rupture group and low-risk rupture group ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that aneurysm diameter ( OR=1.647, 95%CI: 1.177-2.306, P=0.004) and aneurysm wall enhancement rate ( OR=5.317, 95%CI: 1.527-18.512, P=0.009) were independent influencing factors for rupture of intracranial aneurysms. The area of ROC curve was 0.735, the optimal cut-off value was 0.583; the sensitivity of predicting rupture of intracranial aneurysms was 72.7% and the specificity was 70.2%. Conclusion:The aneurysm wall enhancement rate is significantly correlated with risk of aneurysm rupture; when the PHASES scores>3 and aneurysm wall enhancement rate>58.3%, clinical intervention should be vigilant.