Abstract #0450
Microembolization is a likely contributing factor to leukoaraiosis in patients with symptomatic carotid artery disease
Altaf N, Moody A, Jaspan T, Gladman J, Morgan P, Daniels L, Auer D, MacSweeney S
University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre
The evidence for an association of leukoaraiosis or white matter hyperintense lesions (WMHL) with large vessel atherosclerosis is highly controversial. The aim of this study was to determine if the extent of WMHL was associated with the unstable carotid plaque as characterized by Magnetic resonance direct thrombus imaging (MRDTI). MRDTI and brain FLAIR imaging was performed in a cohort of 178 patients with symptomatic carotid disease. The extent of WMHL in the affected cerebral hemisphere is associated with the unstable MRDTI +ve carotid plaque and in contrast, symptoms were only associated with the number of lacunar lesions.
