Abstract
Background and PurposeFew studies have reported on the risk factors of dilated Virchow-Robin Spaces (dVRS) in large samples of ischemic stroke patients. Little evidence exists regarding the relationship between dVRS and etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke or lacune. We aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the severity of dVRS in a large sample of ischemic stroke patients.MethodsWe consecutively enrolled 1,090 patients who experienced an ischemic stroke within the past seven days and underwent a 3.0 T MRI scan in the Chinese IntraCranial AtheroSclerosis Study (ICAS). Clinical data and cranial MRI information of patients included age, sex, vascular risk factors, dVRS, leukoaraiosis, lacune, and etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke. Analyses were performed regarding the risk factors associated with the severity of dVRS by univariate analysis and multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis.ResultsThrough multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis, age, the severity of leukoaraiosis, lacune, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≤3, and the severity of dVRS in the white matter (WM) and hippocampus (Hip) were correlated with the severity of dVRS in basal ganglia (BG); male, history of hypertension, admission NIHSS ≤3, and the severity of dVRS in BG and Hip were correlated with the severity of dVRS in WM; female, the severity of leukoaraiosis, admission NIHSS >3, small artery occlusion subtype of ischemic stroke, and the severity of dVRS in BG and WM were correlated with the severity of dVRS in Hip.ConclusiondVRS is an indicator of cerebral small vessel diseases such as leukoaraiosis and lacune. However, the risk factors of dVRS differ in various brain regions.
Highlights
Virchow-Robin spaces (VRS) are perivascular spaces that surround small arteries and arterioles [1]
There was little evidence to support whether dilated Virchow-Robin Spaces (dVRS) were significantly correlated with small vessel diseases such as leukoaraiosis and lacune, and with the severity or etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke
Increasing age was only significantly associated with dVRS in basal ganglia (BG); hypertension was an independent risk factor for dVRS in white matter (WM) but not in BG and Hip; males had a higher risk for more severe dVRS in WM, whereas females had a higher risk for more severe dVRS in Hip relatively; severe leukoaraiosis (Fazekas score $3) was significantly associated with increasing severity of dVRS in BG and Hip, but not with that in WM; the presence of lacune was positively correlated with more severe dVRS in BG, but not with that in WM or Hip; small-artery occlusion (SAO) subtype stroke was only significantly related with more severe dVRS in Hip
Summary
Virchow-Robin spaces (VRS) are perivascular spaces that surround small arteries and arterioles [1]. Ischemic stroke patients had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, leukoaraiosis and lacune than community populations [8,9,10], little information was available on the distribution and risk factors of dVRS in a large sample of ischemic stroke patients. There was little evidence to support whether dVRS were significantly correlated with small vessel diseases such as leukoaraiosis and lacune, and with the severity or etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke. The objective of our study was to analyze the distribution, severity, and risk factors of dVRS in a large sample of ischemic stroke patients. Few studies have reported on the risk factors of dilated Virchow-Robin Spaces (dVRS) in large samples of ischemic stroke patients. We aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the severity of dVRS in a large sample of ischemic stroke patients
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