Correlation of Atherosclerotic Disease Between Extracranial and Intracranial Carotid Artery in Symptomatic Patients: A 3.0T MR Vessel Wall Imaging Study

Xu Han¹, Jianming Cai¹, Danqing Liu¹, Lin Ma¹, Youquan Cai¹, Xihai Zhao²

This study investigated the correlation of atherosclerotic disease between intracranial and extracranial carotid arteries using MR multicontrast, high resolution, black-blood vessel wall imaging. We found that there was significant correlation between intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic diseases. We also found that there was significant correlation for severity of atherosclerotic disease between intracranial and extracranial circulations. Our findings further compel the evidence that atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that usually impacts multiple vascular territories and suggest that atherosclerotic plaque at extracranial carotid artery might be an indicator for either presence or severity of intracranial atherosclerosis.