The Prevalence and Associated Cerebrovascular Risk Factors of Cerebral Microbleeds in Korean Ischemic Stroke Patients
Tae-Won Kim, MD1, Seung-Jae Lee, MD2, Kwang-Soo Lee, MD, PhD1, Yeong-In Kim, MD, PhD1, Jaseong Koo, MD1,Eu Jene Choi, MD1, Hyung-Eun Park, MD1, Eun Ye Lim, MD1, Min Je
1Departments of Neurology, 3Radiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea , 2Department of Neurology, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea
ABSTRACT
Background: Advanced age, presence of intracerebral hemorrhage or ischemic stroke, dementia, hypertension, and use of antithrombotic therapy have been reported to be associated with a higher risk of cerebral microbleeds. In addition, the severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) was reported to be associated with cerebral microbleeds. We aimed to investigate the frequency and the number of mirobleeds in Korean ischemic stroke patients and risk factors and their relationship to microbleeds. Methods: Four hundred subjects (age, mean±standard deviation: 66.5±13.5 years) hospitalized with acute cerebral infarctions and transient ischemic attacks were included in this study. For each subject, baseline demographic characteristics with cerebrovascular risk factors, the number and localization of the microbleeds and WMHs were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of mirobleeds in this study was 31%. Male gender, history of heart disease and WMH were associated with the burdens of microbleeds. For the analysis for different brain regions, history of valvular heart disease or wall motion abnormality and WMH were associated with microbleeds in cortico-subcortical region. Male gender, history of hypertension and WMH were related in basal ganglia, and only WMH was correlated with microbleeds in infratentorial region. Regardless of the location of microbleeds, WMH was associated with microbleeds consistently. Conclusions: The prevalence of mirobleeds in Korean patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack was 31%. WMH were the consistent risk factors for microbleeds irrespective of the location of microbleeds and other vascular factors.
PDF Links
Full text via DOI 
Download Citation 
