Relation between leukoaraiosis and cerebral microbleeds

Abstract

Objective To analyze the relationship between leukoaraiosis (LA) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).Methods One hundred and thirteen patients with cerebral small vessel diseases,admitted to our hospitals from June 2009 to January 2010,were chosen in our study; MR imagings,including T 1WI,T2WI,fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence (FLAIR) and susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI),were performed in all the patients.All patients accepted related blood biochemical tests.The basic clinical data,including gender,age,histories of smoking,alcohol consumption,hypertension and diabetes,and levels of cholesterol (CHOL),triglyceride (TG),high density lipoprotein (HDL),low density lipoprotein (LDL) and fibrinogen (FIB),were collected.Leukoaraiosis was divided into periventricular LA (grade 0-3) and subcortex LA (grade 0-3) according to the results of MR imagings.The number of CMBs lesions were calculated and graded into 0-3.Results The risk factors of age,histories of diabetes and lacunar infaction,and levels of blood glucose and HDL were significantly different between LA patients with or without CMBs (P＜0.05).The distribution of CMBs in patients with periventricular LA and subcortex LA of different grades showed significant differences (P＜0.05).Different classifications ofperiventricular LA were related to different classifications of CMBs (rs=0.506,P=0.000); different classifications of subcortex LA were related to different classifications ofCMBs (rs=0.448,P=0.000); correlation between CMBs and LA was also significant (rs=0.439,P=0.000).Conclusion Old age,histories of diabetes and lacunar infaction,high blood glucose level and low HDL level are risk factors for patients with both LA and CMBs; CMBs and LA are risk factors to each other,and positive correlation between CMBs and LA is noted,which both influenced by cardiovascular risk factors Key words: Leukoaraiosis; Cerebral microbleed; Risk factor