Relationship Between Basilar Artery Plaque Features And Vertebral Basilar Artery Aggregation Features

Objective To explore the difference of clinical features and geometric features of vertebrobasilar artery between groups with and without basilar plaque,analyze the risk factors of basilar plaque formation,and explore the correlation between basilar plaque burden and geometric features of vertebrobasilar artery.Methods We selected 75 patients who were underwent high resolution vascular wall imaging(HR-VWI)and three-dimensional time of flight magnetic resonance angiography(3D-TOF-MRA)in Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital from May 2020 to March 2022.Clinical characteristics were collected,including age,sex,history of hyperlipidemia,diabetes,smoking,alcohol abusing,body mass index(BMI),and family history of stroke.According to the plaque formation of basilar artery in HR-VWI images,the patients were divided into two groups(36 with and 39 without BA plque).Vertebral basilar artery geometric parameters were measured in3D-TOF-MRA,including actual length of basilar artery(AL),minimum length of basilar artery(ML),basilar artery curvature,bilateral vertebral artery(VA)diameter,bilateral vertebral artery(VA)diameter difference,anterior posterio(AP)and lateral basilar artery middle angle(BA middle angle(AP),BA middle Angle(lateral));lumen area and peritubular area at the narrowest part of basilar artery were measured in HR-VWI axial image,and plaque area and plaque burden were calculated.The differences in clinical features and geometric features of vertebrobasilar artery were compared between the two groups,risk factors for the formation of basilar plaque were analyzed,and the correlation between the basilar plaque burden and geometric features of vertebrobasilar artery was explored.Results There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in age,hyperlipidemia,AL,basilar artery curvature and BA middle angle(P < 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age and basilar artery curvature were independent risk factors for basilar plaque formation.The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the AL,the basilar artery curvature and the BA middle angle(AP)were positively correlated with the BA plaque burden.Conclusion Age and basilar artery curvature are independent risk factors for basilar plaque formation.There was a positive linear correlation between plaque burden and AL,BA middle angle(AP)and basilar artery curvature.