Intracranial atherosclerotic plaque enhancement and long-term risk of future strokes: A prospective, longitudinal study.

Background And Purpose: The prognostic significance of postcontrast enhancement of intracranial atheromatous plaque is uncertain. Prospective, long-term follow-up studies in Caucasians, using a multicenter design, are lacking. We aimed to evaluate whether this radiological sign predicts long-term new stroke in symptomatic and asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) patients.

Relative cerebral blood volume as a marker of durable tissue-at-risk viability in hyperacute ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: Selection of best responders to reperfusion therapies could be aided by predicting the duration of tissue-at-risk viability, which may be dependant on collateral circulation status. We aimed to identify the best predictor of good collateral circulation among perfusion computed tomography (PCT) parameters in middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic stroke and to analyze how early MCA response to intravenous thrombolysis and PCT-derived markers of good collaterals interact to determine stroke outcome.

Methods: We prospectively studied patients with acute MCA ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis who underwent PCT before treatment showing a target mismatch profile.