Relationship between the stroke mechanism of symptomatic middle cerebral artery atherosclerotic diseases and culprit plaques based on high-resolution vessel wall imaging.

Purpose: For patients with symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) atherosclerotic stenosis, identifying the potential stroke mechanisms may contribute to secondary prevention. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between stroke mechanisms and the characteristics of culprit plaques in patients with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke in the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) based on high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI).

Methods: We recruited 61 patients with acute ischemic stroke due to MCA atherosclerotic stenosis from Shenzhen Bao'an District People's Hospital.