Severity of White Matter Lesions Correlates with Subcortical Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Abnormalities and Predicts Stroke Risk.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The severity of white matter lesions (WMLs) has been strongly linked to small-vessel diseases or lacunar infarction. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between severity of WMLs and distribution of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) hyperintensities, and to explore whether the severity of WMLs is an independent neuroimaging predictor of stroke risk after transient symptoms with infarction (TSI).

METHODS

We evaluated the presence and severity of WMLs on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences using the age-related white matter changes scale and the location and size of hyperintensities on DWI sequences, respectively, in a prospective cohort study of TSI patients. The primary end point was recurrent stroke within 90 days.

RESULTS

A total of 191 consecutive TSI patients were eligible for inclusion in the present analysis. The average age of the patients was 57.3 ± 12.8 years. DWI abnormalities occurred more often in the deep white matter with increasing severity of WMLs (P < .001). During 90-day follow-up, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that recurrent stroke was correlated to the severity of WMLs (P = .01). The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that WMLs were predictive of recurrent stroke (hazard ratio, 1.748; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.634; P = .008).

CONCLUSIONS

Severe WMLs were correlated with DWI hyperintensities in the deep white matter in TSI patients and contributed to an increased risk of recurrent stroke.