Nonrelevant Cerebral Atherosclerosis is a Strong Prognostic Factor in Acute Cerebral Infarction

Abstract

Background and Purpose— We investigated whether the presence of nonrelevant cerebral atherosclerosis (NRCA) had prognostic value in patients with acute stroke. Methods— We compared prognosis in 780 consecutive patients with first-ever acute cerebral infarction who underwent cerebral angiography and diffusion-weighted MRI. Results— NRCA was present in 267 patients (34.2%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of NRCA was independently associated with less improvement in National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score during the first 7 days ( P =0.004), and a poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score >2) after 3 months (odds ratio, 2.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.55–4.07). An increase in burden count of NRCA was also associated with poor outcomes. Conclusions— The presence and burden count of NRCA were associated with poor neurological outcomes in patients with acute cerebral infarction.