[Calcified Amorphous Tumor Diagnosed After Stroke:Report of a Case].

Calcified amorphous tumor (CAT), a non-neoplastic tumor, is rare. Histopathologic features are the presence of calcified nodules in an amorphous background of fibrin. CAT is reported to be associated with renal dysfunction or hemodialysis, and possibly causes cerebral embolism. We report a case of CAT diagnosed after stroke. A 58-year-old male with a 2-year history of hemodialysis was diagnosed with an acute stroke, and was treated medically. Paralysis promptly improved, but transthoracic echocardiography revealed a tumor attached to the posterior mitral leaflet and dense mitral annular calcification. To prevent embolism due to the large tumor, we performed resection of the tumor. Pathological findings showed calcifications surrounded by amorphous fibrous tissue, indicating CAT. Postoperative course was uneventful.

Total cerebral small vessel disease burden and stroke outcomes in large vessel occlusion stroke receiving endovascular treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is prevalent in the population, especially among the elderly. Various types of CSVD markers commonly coexist, and the neurological function outcome is affected by their combined effect. Studies investigating the association between total CSVD burden and stroke outcomes in large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke receiving endovascular treatment (EVT) are expanding but have not been systematically assessed. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for relevant clinical studies. The total CSVD burden score summarized the markers of CSVD, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVSs), which was a comprehensive index of overall CSVD burden. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) were used to calculate the association between high total CSVD burden score and outcomes of EVT in patients with LVO stroke. The primary outcome was poor functional outcome, which was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) ≥ 3 at 90 days after EVT. The secondary outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and poor collateral flow. RESULTS: Overall, 6 eligible studies with 1,774 patients with LVO stroke undergoing EVT were pooled in meta-analysis. High overall CSVD burden score was significantly associated with increased risks of poor functional outcome at 90 days (pooled OR 2.86, 95 % CI 1.31-6.25, p = 0.008). Besides, high overall CSVD burden score was associated with sICH (pooled OR 2.07, 95 % CI 0.38-5.17; p = 0.118) and poor collateral flow (pooled OR 1.57, 95 % CI 0.75-3.27; p = 0.232), but were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: High overall CSVD burden was associated with increased risks of unfavorable outcomes in patients with LVO stroke undergoing EVT.

Comparison between the outcomes of transfemoral access and transfemoral access with adjunct upper extremity access in patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair: A pilot systematic review and meta-analysis.

Endovascular aortic repair is an emerging novel intervention for the management of abdominal aortic aneurysms. It is crucial to compare the effectiveness of different access sites, such as transfemoral access (TFA) and upper extremity access (UEA). An electronic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. The primary endpoint was the incidence of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), while the secondary endpoints included technical success, access-site complications, mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), spinal cord ischemia, among others. Forest plots were constructed for the pooled analysis of data using the random-effects model in Review Manager, version 5.4. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Our findings in 9403 study participants (6228 in the TFA group and 3175 in the UEA group) indicate that TFA is associated with a lower risk of stroke/TIA [RR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.40-0.75; p = 0.0002], MI [RR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.38-0.69; p < 0.0001], spinal cord ischemia [RR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.32-0.53, p < 0.00001], and shortens fluoroscopy time [SMD: -0.62; 95% CI: -1.00 to -0.24; p = 0.001]. Moreover, TFA required less contrast agent [SMD: -0.33; 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.06; p = 0.02], contributing to its appeal. However, no significant differences emerged in technical success [p = 0.23], 30-day mortality [p = 0.48], ICU stay duration [p = 0.09], or overall hospital stay length [p = 0.22]. Patients with TFA had a lower risk of stroke, MI, and spinal cord ischemia, shorter fluoroscopy time, and lower use of contrast agents. Future large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm and strengthen these findings.

Genetic Variants Associated with the Risk of Stroke in Sickle Cell Anemia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is the most common cause of stroke in children. As it is a rare disease, studies investigating the association with complications like stroke in SCD have small sample sizes. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies exploring an association of genetic variants with stroke to get a better indication of their association with stroke. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify studies that had performed an association analysis of genetic variants for the risk of stroke in SCA patients. After screening of eligible studies, summary statistics of association analysis with stroke and other general information were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using the fixed effect method on the tool METAL and forest plots were plotted using the R program. The random effect model was performed as a sensitivity analysis for loci where significant heterogeneity was observed. 407 studies were identified using the search term and after screening 37 studies that cumulatively analyzed 11,373 SCA patients were included. These 37 studies included a total of 2,222 SCA patients with stroke, predominantly included individuals of African ancestry (N = 16). Three of these studies performed whole exome sequencing while 35 performed single nucleotide-based genotyping. Though the studies reported association with 132 loci, meta-analyses could be performed only for 12 loci that had data from two or more studies. After meta-analysis we observed that four loci were significantly associated with risk for stroke: -α3.7 kb Alpha-thalassemia deletion (P = 0.00000027), rs489347-TEK (P = 0.00081), rs2238432-ADCY9 (P = 0.00085), rs11853426-ANXA2 (P = 0.0034), and rs1800629-TNF (P = 0.0003396). Ethnic representation of regions with a high prevalence of SCD like the Mediterranean basin and India needs to be improved for genetic studies on associated complications like stroke. Larger genome-wide collaborative studies on SCD and associated complications including stroke need to be performed.

Anticoagulation for Patients With Concomitant Atrial Fibrillation and End-Stage Renal Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant atrial fibrillation and end-stage renal disease is common and associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Although oral anticoagulants have been well established to prevent thromboembolism, the applicability in patients under long-term dialysis remains debatable. The study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of anticoagulation in the dialysis-dependent population. METHODS AND RESULTS: An updated network meta-analysis based on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was performed. Studies published up to December 2022 were included. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban 2.5/5 mg twice daily), vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), and no anticoagulation were compared on safety and efficacy outcomes. The outcomes of interest were major bleeding, thromboembolism, and all-cause death. A total of 42 studies, including 3 randomized controlled trials, with 185 864 subjects were pooled. VKAs were associated with a significantly higher risk of major bleeding than either no anticoagulation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.47; 95% CI, 1.34-1.61) or DOACs (DOACs versus VKAs; HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.64-0.84]). For the prevention of thromboembolism, the efficacies of VKAs, DOACs, and no anticoagulation were equivalent. Nevertheless, dabigatran and rivaroxaban were associated with fewer embolic events. There were no differences in all-cause death with the administration of VKAs, DOACs, or no anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: For dialysis-dependent populations, dabigatran and rivaroxaban were associated with better efficacy, while dabigatran and apixaban demonstrated better safety. No anticoagulation was a noninferior alterative, and VKAs were associated with the worst outcomes.

Thirty-day outcomes of carotid endarterectomy versus carotid artery stenting in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Technological and surgical approaches to carotid artery stenting (CAS) have evolved. Modern randomised controlled trials comparing CAS and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) are limited, and information about updated post-intervention outcomes are mostly from retrospective, small studies. AIMS: This study aims to compare the 30-day outcomes of stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and death with propensity-matched groups of CEA and CAS in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients over a recent study period of new CAS technologies and approaches. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, multicentre analysis was conducted including consecutive symptomatic and asymptomatic patients treated with either primary CEA or CAS for internal carotid artery stenosis, between 2015 and 2022. Patients were propensity score-matched based on comorbidities and assessed according to symptom status. Primary endpoints include composite ipsilateral stroke, TIA, AMI and death within 30 days. Secondary endpoints include technical success and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: From a cohort of 1,110 patients, propensity matching produced 269 distinct treatment pairs (n=538). Most patients were asymptomatic (n=456, 85%). All 6 strokes were minor (CEA=2; CAS=4) and registered among asymptomatic patients. One AMI (CEA) and 1 patient death (CAS) were reported among symptomatic patients. Composite stroke/AMI/death were not significantly different between both types of symptom status and both revascularisation techniques (p=0.44 and p=1, respectively). Technical success was 100%. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in asymptomatic patients treated with CAS compared to those treated with CEA (p=0.05), but no difference was registered among symptomatic patients (p=0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Propensity-matched analysis suggests that CAS has similar postprocedural outcomes for stroke, AMI and death at 30 days compared to CEA.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion and risk of stroke, hospitalized bleeding and death in Medicare beneficiaries.

PURPOSE: Among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a nonpharmacologic option (e.g., percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion [LAAO]) is needed for patients with oral anticoagulant (OAC) contraindications. Among beneficiaries in the Medicare fee-for-service coverage 20% sample databases (2015-18) who had AF and an elevated CHA2DS2-VASc score, we assessed the association between percutaneous LAAO versus OAC use and risk of stroke, hospitalized bleeding, and death. METHODS: Patients undergoing percutaneous LAAO were matched to up to five OAC users by sex, age, date of enrollment, index date, CHA2DS2-VASc score, and HAS-BLED score. Overall, 17 156 patients with AF (2905 with percutaneous LAAO) were matched (average ± SD 78 ± 6 years, 44% female). Cox proportional hazards model were used. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 10.3 months. After multivariable adjustments, no significant difference for risk of stroke or death was noted when patients with percutaneous LAAO were compared with OAC users (HRs [95% CIs]: 1.14 [0.86-1.52], 0.98 [0.86-1.10]). There was a 2.94-fold (95% CI: 2.50-3.45) increased risk for hospitalized bleeding for percutaneous LAAO compared with OAC use. Among patients 65 to <78 years old, those undergoing percutaneous LAAO had higher risk of stroke compared with OAC users. No association was present in those ≥78 years. CONCLUSION: In this analysis of real-world AF patients, percutaneous LAAO versus OAC use was associated with similar risk of death, nonsignificantly elevated risk of stroke, and an elevated risk of bleeding in the post-procedural period. Overall, these results support results of randomized trials that percutaneous LAAO may be an alternative to OAC use for patients with contraindications.

Efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in the posterior cerebral circulation-a single center study.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the current standard treatment for strokes in the anterior cerebral circulation (AMT) and has recently been proven to be beneficial in the posterior circulation strokes (PMT). Our study aims to evaluate parameters for favorable outcomes in PMT-patients and to compare the clinical characteristics of individuals who received AMT and PMT. For this purpose, we confronted AMT and PMT-receipients and performed a multivariate regression analysis to assess the influence of factors on favorable outcomes in the study group and in the AMT and PMT subgroups. When analysing 623 MT-patients, those who received PMT had significantly lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (9 vs. 13; p < 0.001) and 24 h post-MT (7 vs. 12; p = 0.006). Key parameters influencing the favorable outcomes of PMT at discharge and at 90th day include: NIHSS scores (OR: 0.865, 95% CI: 0.813-0.893, and OR: 0.900, 95% CI: 0.861-0.925), MT time (OR: 0.993, 95% CI: 0.987-0.998 and OR: 0.993, 95% CI: 0.990-0.997), and leukocytosis (OR: 0.961, 95% CI: 0.928-0.988 and OR: 0.974, 95% CI: 0.957-0.998). Different clinical profiles exist between AMT and PMT-recipients, with the neurological status post-MT being decisive for the prognosis. Several factors play an important role in predicting outcome, especially in the PMT group.

Outcomes of carotid endarterectomy: Insights from a single-center retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the outcomes of carotid endarterectomy in individuals with carotid artery stenosis in the context of a tertiary care center. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort investigation between 2015-2022. Patient data includes demographics, risk factors, preoperative medications, and operative details. The primary outcomes were 30-day postoperative stroke and mortality rates, while the secondary outcome of the study was to assess the morbidity of the procedure. RESULTS: The mean age of the 54 patients was 66.9±9.88 years, and 57.4% were men. The 30-day stroke rate was 3.7%, and the mortality rate was 1.9%. Most patients did not develop postoperative complications; however, surgical site hematoma was the most common complication encountered (12.9%). Long-term follow-up showed disease regression in 68.5% of patients, with a minority of patients developing ipsilateral restenosis. Admission to an intensive care monitoring unit was the only independent predictor of postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: This study provided insights into the outcomes of carotid endarterectomy in patients with carotid artery stenosis, emphasizing the importance of careful patient selection and postoperative monitoring. Perioperative risks, including stroke and mortality, were within acceptable limits. Further research incorporating structured and non-structured data for predictive analyses, should explore refining patient profiling and optimizing treatment approaches for different carotid artery stenosis clinical and morphological presentations.

MRI in the Evaluation of Cryptogenic Stroke and Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Cryptogenic stroke refers to a stroke of undetermined etiology. It accounts for approximately one-fifth of ischemic strokes and has a higher prevalence in younger patients. Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) refers to a subgroup of patients with nonlacunar cryptogenic strokes in whom embolism is the suspected stroke mechanism. Under the classifications of cryptogenic stroke or ESUS, there is wide heterogeneity in possible stroke mechanisms. In the absence of a confirmed stroke etiology, there is no established treatment for secondary prevention of stroke in patients experiencing cryptogenic stroke or ESUS, despite several clinical trials, leaving physicians with a clinical dilemma. Both conventional and advanced MRI techniques are available in clinical practice to identify differentiating features and stroke patterns and to determine or infer the underlying etiologic cause, such as atherosclerotic plaques and cardiogenic or paradoxical embolism due to occult pelvic venous thrombi. The aim of this review is to highlight the diagnostic utility of various MRI techniques in patients with cryptogenic stroke or ESUS. Future trends in technological advancement for promoting the adoption of MRI in such a special clinical application are also discussed.

Risk Burden of Cancer in Patients Treated With Abbreviated Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After PCI: Analysis of Multicenter Controlled High-Bleeding Risk Trials.

BACKGROUND: Oncological patients with coronary artery disease face an elevated risk of hemorrhagic and ischemic events following percutaneous coronary intervention. Despite medical guidelines recommending minimal dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration for patients with cancer, dedicated data on abbreviated DAPT in this population is lacking. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence of ischemic and hemorrhagic events in patients with cancer compared with other high-bleeding risk individuals. METHODS: Patient-level data from 4 high-bleeding risk coronary drug-eluting stent studies (ONYX One, LEADERS FREE, LEADERS FREE II, and SENIOR trials) treated with short DAPT were analyzed. The comparison focused on patients with high-bleeding risk with and without cancer, assessing 1-year rates of net adverse clinical events (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] types 3 to 5 bleeding) and major adverse clinical events (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke). RESULTS: A total of 5232 patients were included, of whom 574 individuals had cancer, and 4658 were at high-bleeding risk without previous cancer. Despite being younger with fewer risk factors, patients with cancer had higher net adverse clinical event (HR, 1.25; P=0.01) and major adverse clinical event (HR, 1.26; P=0.02), primarily driven by all-cause mortality and major bleeding (BARC 3-5), but not myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, or repeat revascularization. Cancer was an independent predictor of net adverse clinical event (P=0.005), major adverse clinical event (P=0.01), and major bleeding (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The present work is the first report on abbreviated DAPT dedicated to patients with cancer. Cancer is a major marker of adverse outcomes and these events had high lethality. Despite short DAPT, patients with cancer experienced higher rates of major bleeding compared with patients without cancer with high-bleeding risk, which occurred mainly after DAPT discontinuation. These findings reinforce the need for a more detailed and individualized stratification of those patients. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: NCT03344653, NCT01623180, NCT02843633, NCT0284.

Risk Factors Associated With Exclusion of Obese Patients Ischemic Stroke With a History of Smoking From Thrombolysis Therapy.

The objective of this study is to determine risk factors that may contribute to exclusion decision from recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with a combined current or history of smoking and obesity. This study was conducted on data from 5469 patients with AIS collected from a regional stroke registry. Risk factors associated with inclusion or exclusion from rtPA were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval for each risk factor were used to predict the increasing odds of an association of a specific risk factor with exclusion from rtPA. In the adjusted analysis, obese patients with AIS with a history of smoking (current and previous) excluded from rtPA were more likely to present with carotid artery stenosis (OR = 0.069, 95% CI 0.011-0.442), diabetes (OR = 0.604, 95% CI 0.366-0.997), higher total cholesterol (OR = 0.975, 95% CI 0.956-0.995), and history of alcohol use (OR = 0.438, 95% CI 0.232-0.828). Higher NIHSS score (OR = 1.051, 95% CI 1.017-1.086), higher triglycerides (OR = 1.004, 95% CI 1.001-1.006), and higher high-density lipoprotein (OR = 1.028, 95% CI 1.000-1.057) were associated with the inclusion for rtPA. Our findings reveal specific risk factors that contribute to the exclusion of patients with AIS with a combined effect of smoking and obesity from rtPA. These findings suggest the need to develop management strategies to improve the use of rtPA for obese patients with AIS with a history of smoking.

Synchronous subarachnoid haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke as a result of complete internal carotid artery occlusion.

A previously healthy man in his 60s presents with a one-day history of insidious onset headache and 'walking into doors'. He reported transient right arm pain and tingling but no weakness. A CT brain showed a right middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct as well as a synchronous right frontal lobe convexal subarachnoid haemorrhage (cSAH). An arch to vertex CT angiogram demonstrated right MCA occlusion and complete right internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion from its origin. Reconstitution of flow was seen within the distal right ICA at the level of the distal foramen lacerum. A repeat CT of the brain after one week showed a stable appearance of the bleeding and infarct. He was commenced on antiplatelet therapy for the treatment of the ischaemic stroke as well as secondary prevention.This is a rare case of synchronous right MCA infarct as well as a right frontal cSAH secondary to ipsilateral carotid artery occlusion.

Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Dual Antiplatelet Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor is a standard therapy in patients with ischemic vascular diseases (IVD) including coronary artery, cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial diseases, although the optimal duration of this treatment is still debated. Previous meta-analyses reported conflicting results about the effects of long-term and short-term as well as non-DAPT use in various clinical settings. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of different durations of DAPT. METHODS: We reviewed relevant articles and references from database, which were published prior to April 2023. Data from prospective studies were processed using RevMan5.0 software, provided by Cochrane Collaboration and transformed using relevant formulas. The inclusion criteria involved randomization to long-term versus short-term or no DAPT; the endpoints included at least one of total or cardiovascular (CV) mortalities, IVD recurrence, and bleeding. RESULTS: A total of 34 randomized studies involving 141 455 patients were finally included. In comparison with no or short-term DAPT, long-term DAPT reduced MI and stroke, but did not reduce the total and CV mortalities. Meanwhile, bleeding events were increased, even though intracranial and fatal bleedings were not affected. Besides, the reduction of MI and stroke recurrence showed no statistical significance between long-term and short-term DAPT groups. CONCLUSION: Long-term DAPT may not reduce the mortality of IVD besides increasing bleeding events, although reduced the incidences of MI and stroke early recurrence to a certain extent and did not increase the risk of fatal intracranial bleeding.

The association in diabetic retinopathy and stroke finding from NHANES evidence.

PURPOSE: Diabetic retinopathy and stroke are both vascular pathologies, and this study intends to investigate the relationship between diabetic retinopathy and stroke. METHODS: The NHANES database was used to find the relationship between diabetic retinopathy and stroke with 1948 individuals aged 40 years or older. The sensitivity of the data was verified by multiple interpolation, further analysis was done by subgroup analyses, and possible links were investigated with mediation studies. RESULTS: Diabetes retinopathy was found to be closely associated with stroke, with the PDR group having a higher stroke incidence than the NPDR group. After controlling for covariates, there were still substantial differences in the risk of stroke among patients with NPDR and PDR. Overall, subgroup analysis revealed DR group showed an important distinction, compared to the non-DR (OR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.15-2.64). The results of the mediation research indicated that the connection between DR and stroke was mediated by the frailty index and hypertension. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between DR and stroke, which persisted even after DR staging and was more prevalent in PDR patients than in NPDR patients. Stroke prevention may benefit from DR health management.

Air Embolism-Induced Ischemic Stroke Following Orthognathic Surgery in a Patient With Goldenhar Syndrome.

Goldenhar syndrome, a rare congenital anomaly, manifests as craniofacial malformations often necessitating intricate surgical interventions. These procedures, though crucial, can expose patients to diverse postoperative complications, including hemorrhage or infection. A noteworthy complication is stroke, potentially linked to air embolism or local surgical trauma. We highlight a case of a male patient, aged 20 years, who experienced a significant postoperative complication of an ischemic stroke, theorized to be due to an air embolism, after undergoing orthognathic procedures for Goldenhar syndrome. The patient was subjected to LeFort I maxillary osteotomy, bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible, and anterior iliac crest bone grafting to the right maxilla. He suffered an acute ischemic stroke in the left thalamus post-surgery, theorized to stem from an air embolism. Advanced imaging demonstrated air pockets within the cavernous sinus, a rare and concerning finding suggestive of potential air embolism. This case underscores the intricate challenges in treating Goldenhar syndrome patients and the rare but significant risk of stroke due to air embolism or surgical trauma. Limited literature on managing air embolism complications specific to Goldenhar syndrome surgeries exists. Generally, management includes immediate recognition, positional adjustments, air aspiration via central venous catheters, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hemodynamic support, and high-flow oxygen administration to expedite air resorption. Our patient was conservatively managed post-surgery, and at a 3-month neurology follow-up, he showed significant improvement with only residual right arm weakness. It emphasizes the imperative of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach.

[How do I investigate... the vulnerability of a carotid artery plaque in 2024]. / Comment j'explore la vulnérablilité d'une plaque carotidienne en 2024.

Carotid artery atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of stroke. Even though the association between the risk of stroke and the level of morphological stenosis of a carotid plaque has been known for a long time, growing evidence has since proven necessary to assess the composition of the plaque itself to identify vulnerability predictors. These vulnerable plaques, even more if non-stenosing, may be responsible for a significant - but hard to quantify - proportion of strokes so far classified cryptogenic. As a matter of fact, plaque composition may escape detection and characterisation with classical imaging. Several biomarkers associated with its vulnerability to destabilization and with the risk of stroke such as intraplaque hemorrhage and inflammation are now routinely assessable. After a few pathophysiological reminders and a critical reading of the historical literature concerning carotid artery atherosclerosis management, we will review in this article the imaging techniques that can be used in the routine work-up of a carotid atherosclerotic plaque, with a focus on vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging and contrast enhanced ultrasonography.

L'athérosclérose carotidienne est une des causes les plus fréquentes d'accident ischémique cérébral (AIC). Si la dangerosité d'une plaque d'athérome est historiquement vue uniquement à travers le prisme de la sténose qu'elle engendre, l'évolution des connaissances nous pousse à considérer sa composition à la recherche de facteurs de vulnérabilité. Ces plaques à risque, a fortiori «non sténosantes¼, sont responsables d'une proportion difficilement quantifiable, mais probablement non négligeable d'AIC jusqu'ici considérés cryptogéniques. En effet, ces critères échappent pour beaucoup aux méthodes d'imagerie traditionnelle. Plusieurs propriétés associées à la vulnérabilité de la plaque et au risque d'AIC, principalement l'hémorragie intra-plaque et l'inflammation, sont désormais accessibles en pratique courante. Après quelques rappels physiopathologiques et une lecture critique de la littérature historique de la prise en charge de l'athérome carotidien, nous passerons en revue les différentes techniques d'imagerie utilisables en routine dans la mise au point de la plaque d'athérosclérose, avec un focus pratique sur l'imagerie pariétale vasculaire par résonance magnétique et, dans une moindre mesure, par échographie de contraste.