Comparing Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis in Patients With Bilateral Carotid Vulnerable Plaques Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

We compared plaque characteristics between symptomatic and asymptomatic sides in patients with bilateral carotid vulnerable plaques using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants (n = 67; mean age: 65.8 ± 7.7 years, 61 males) with bilateral carotid vulnerable plaques were included. Vulnerable plaques were characterized by intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), large lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), or fibrous cap rupture (FCR) on MRI. Symptomatic vulnerable plaques showed greater plaque burden, LRNC volume (median: 221.4 vs 134.8 mm3, P = .003), IPH volume (median: 32.2 vs 22.5 mm3, P = .030), maximum percentage (Max%) LRNC (median: 51.3% vs 41.8%, P = .002), Max%IPH (median: 13.4% vs 9.5%, P = .022), cumulative slices of LRNC (median: 10 vs 8, P = .005), and more juxtaluminal IPH and/or thrombus (29.9% vs 6.0%, P = .001) and FCR (37.3% vs 16.4%, P = .007) than asymptomatic ones. After adjusting for plaque burden, differences in juxtaluminal IPH and/or thrombus (odds ratio [OR]: 5.49, 95% CI: 1.61-18.75, P = .007) and FCR (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.16-7.24, P = .022) between bilateral sides remained statistically significant. For patients with bilateral carotid vulnerable plaques, symptomatic plaques had greater burden, more juxtaluminal IPH and/or thrombus, and FCR compared with asymptomatic ones. The differences in juxtaluminal IPH and/or thrombus and FCR between bilateral sides were independent of plaque burden.