CLINICAL AND IMAGING CHARACTERISTICS OF INTRACRANIAL LARGE-ARTERY STENOSIS OR OCCLUSION IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE AT S.I.S CAN THO INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 2024–2026

Abstract

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and intracranial large-artery stenosis or occlusion identified by 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with ischemic stroke at S.I.S Can Tho International Hospital. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 194 patients with ischemic stroke and intracranial large-artery stenosis or occlusion evaluated at S.I.S Can Tho International Hospital. All included patients underwent both 3-Tesla MRI/MRA and DSA as part of their clinical evaluation. The study was descriptive and was not designed to assess diagnostic accuracy or agreement between MRI and DSA. Results: The male-to-female ratio was approximately 2:1. Dysarthria, hemiparesis/hemiplegia, and central facial palsy were the most frequently recorded predominant neurological manifestations. Only 18.0% of patients arrived within 3 hours of symptom onset. A single intracranial vascular lesion was identified in 92.8% of patients. Among the predefined index lesions reported on DSA, the M1–M2 segments of the middle cerebral artery were most frequently involved (58.8%). Severe stenosis (70–99%) was recorded in 49 patients (25.3%) and complete arterial occlusion in 145 patients (74.7%). Conclusion: In this selected cohort from a specialized stroke and endovascular center, most patients had a single intracranial vascular lesion, the M1–M2 segments were the most frequent index-lesion location, and complete occlusion was more common than severe stenosis.