Arterial Widening, Not Blockage, Tied to Common Stroke
A recent study has found that abnormal widening of the basilar artery is strongly associated with lacunar stroke, challenging previous beliefs that large artery stenosis was the primary cause. The research indicates that this arterial widening correlates with greater small vessel disease burden and progression of white matter injury. These findings suggest that current guidelines for preventing recurrent lacunar strokes may need to be reevaluated.
- ▪The study involved 229 patients with recent lacunar or mild nonlacunar ischemic stroke.
- ▪Basilar artery dolichoectasia was found to be strongly associated with lacunar stroke and higher small vessel disease burden.
- ▪The findings indicate that lacunar stroke may be caused by nonatheromatous mechanisms rather than large artery stenosis.
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A new study is challenging long-standing assumptions about the causes of lacunar stroke, a common type of ischemic stroke linked to cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD).Researchers found that abnormal widening, elongation, and twisting of the basilar artery in the brain’s posterior circulation was strongly associated with lacunar stroke, not large artery stenosis from atherosclerotic plaque buildup, as previously thought.Arterial widening was also linked to greater small vessel disease burden, progression of white matter injury, and new infarcts on MRI.“The lack of association between atheromatous stenosis and lacunar stroke/small vessel disease and its progression explains why current guideline secondary ischemic stroke prevention does not work very well in preventing recurrent lacunar…
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