Characteristics of basilar artery atherosclerotic plaques in pontine infarctions: A high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE: This study used a 3.0T high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging approach to explore basilar artery plaque characteristics in patients suffering from acute isolated pontine infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 consecutive patients suffering from acute isolated pontine infarction were enrolled in this study and underwent examinations including high-resolution MRI assessment of the basilar artery within 7 days following infarction. RESULTS: The basilar artery plaque burden of 16 patients with paramedian pontine infarction was 0.26±0.085, while the reconstruction index and enhancement rate index values in these patients were 1.097±0.133 and 1.750±0.447, respectively. In the 14 patients suffering from deep pontine infarction, these three values were 0.21±0.055, 0.896±0.223, and 1.285±0.611, respectively.These values differed significantly when comparing patients suffering from paramedian pontine infarction to those suffering from deep pontine infarction. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the characteristics of basilar artery plaques differ between the two subtypes of pontine infarctions, which may account for the differences in prognosis associated with these two infarct subtypes.