Objective: Whether small vessel infarction (SVI) correlates with large arterial lesion is under debate. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the single SVI in carotid territory by diffusion weight imaging (DWI) and arterial lesion by contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA).
Methods: Sixty patients with acute cerebral infarction underwent DWI within 7 days and CEMRA within 2 weeks after onset. They were divided into 2 groups of patients with and without single SVI. The clinical and magnetic resonance image features were compared between two groups.
Results: Lesions of ipsilateral extracranial carotid artery were detected in 10 patients of SVI groups (36%) versus 8 patients (25%) of non-SVI group (P = 0.54). Incidence of intracranial vascular lesion in single SVI group (32%) was slightly lower than that of non-SVI group (47%) (P = 0.52). And 46 patients (77%) were assessed on plaque of carotid artery. Incidence of ipsilateral carotid artery plaque (44%) was higher in single SVI group than that of non-SVI group (35%) (P = 0.76). And the incidence of vulnerable plaque in single SVI group (26%) was similar to that of non-SVI group (22%) (P = 0.73).
Conclusion: SVI has not a single underlying mechanism of stroke. However, further studies with a large number of patients are warranted.