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Symptomatic Carotid Atherosclerotic Disease: Correlations Between Plaque Composition and Ipsilateral Stroke Risk

Overview

Overview

Journal Stroke

Specialties Cardiology & Vascular Diseases
Neurology

Date 2014 Dec 6

PMID 25477221

Citations 55

Authors

Authors

Dominic Pj Howard

Guus W van Lammeren

Peter M Rothwell

Jessica N Redgrave

Frans L Moll

Jean-Paul Pm de Vries

Dominique Pv de Kleijn

Hester M den Ruijter

Gert Jan de Borst

Gerard Pasterkamp

Affiliations

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Purpose: For symptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis, the risk benefit for surgical intervention may vary among patient groups. Various modalities of plaque imaging have been promoted as potential tools for additional risk stratification, particularly in patients with moderate stenosis. However, it remains uncertain to what extent carotid plaque components predict risk of future ipsilateral ischemic stroke.

Methods: In 2 large atherosclerotic carotid plaque biobank studies, we related histological characteristics of 1640 carotid plaques with a validated risk model for the prediction of individual 1- and 5-year stroke risk.

Results: No significant heterogeneity between the studies was found. Predicted 5-year stroke risk (top versus bottom quartile) was related to plaque thrombus (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.89; P=0.02), fibrous content (0.65; 0.49-0.87; P=0.004), macrophage infiltration (1.41; 1.05-1.90; P=0.02), high microvessel density (1.49; 1.05-2.11; P=0.03), and overall plaque instability (1.40; 1.05-1.87; P=0.02). This association was not observed for cap thickness, calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, or lymphocyte infiltration. Plaques removed within 30 days of most recent symptomatic event were most strongly correlated with predicted stroke risk.

Conclusions: Features of the vulnerable carotid plaque, including plaque thrombus, low fibrous content, macrophage infiltration, and microvessel density, correlate with predicted stroke risk. This study provides a basis for plaque imaging studies focused on stroke risk stratification.

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