Lenticulostriate Artery Infarction Involving the Striatocapsular Region: A High-resolution MRI Study

Abstract Background To study the effectiveness of three-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (3D-HR-VWI) in diagnosing ischemic stroke caused by perforating artery infarction. Methods We retrospectively studied 38 patients who were admitted to two different centers in China between 2016 and 2018. We examined the structure of the lenticulostriate arteries by 3D-HR-VWI and studied the characteristics of the perforating arterial lesions. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the number of lenticulostriate arteries on the lesion side and the normal side (P=0.2512), but there was a significant difference in the ratio of lenticulostriate arteries between patients with a striatum infarction and those with single perforating artery infarction (P=0.020). The depths of the lenticulostriate arteries on the lesion sides were also significantly different between the two groups (P=0.032). Differences among risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and smoking were not statistically significant. The differences in vascular involvement, length of M1 lesions, etiological type, number of lenticulostriate arteries, and depth of the lenticulostriate arteries were also not significant. Conclusion 3D-HR-VWI can show lesions of the lenticulostriate arteries and perforating arteries clearly, which has diagnostic value for judging the nature of ischemic stroke caused by perforating artery disease.