The Association Between Hypertension and Cerebral Microbleeds in Patients With CADASIL

BACKGROUND: Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an inherited microangiopathy that is caused by mutations in the Notch3 gene. Typical findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) include multiple subcortical lacunae, extensive white-matter change, and multiple cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). CMBs are indicative of bleeding-prone microangiopathy. The rate of intracerebral hemorrhage in CADASIL is higher in Asian patients than in Caucasian patients. However, CMBs have not been thoroughly evaluated in Asian patients. We performed a detailed analysis of the frequency and distribution pattern of CMBs and assessed whether vascular risk factors exert an independent effect on CMBs in Asian CADASIL patients. METHODS: The study population comprised 60 patients who underwent brain MRI, including T2*-weighted gradient-echo sequences. Demographic factors, vascular risk factors, and MRI findings were compared between CADASIL patients with and without CMBs. The impact of vascular risk factors on CMBs, lacunae, and white-matter hyperintensities (WMHs) was assessed by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: CMBs, which were detected in 34 (56.7%) patients, exhibited a significant predilection for the thalamus (46.7%), subcortical-cortical region (35.0%), and basal ganglia (31.7%). Hypertension, lacunae, and white-matter lesions were more common in patients with CMBs. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for CMBs, lacunae, and WMHs in patients with CADASIL. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that CMBs tended to occur in hypertensive patients with CADASIL. Further studies should focus on elucidating the association between reduced blood pressure and the number of CMBs.

Topographical Distribution of Lacunes and Cerebral Microbleeds in CADASIL Affected by Hypertension

BACKGROUND: Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an inherited small vessel disease caused by mutations in the Notch3 gene. Lacunes may reflect occlusive type microangiopathy. However, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) may reflect bleeding-prone microangiopathy. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether hypertension influence the distribution and severity of lacunes and CMBs in patients with CADASIL. METHODS: The study population comprised 85 patients who underwent brain MRI, including T1-weighted image, susceptibility weighted image (SWI), and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of hypertension. In the first, demographic factors, and MRI findings were compared between CADASIL patients with and without hypertension. In the second, we undertook a region by region comparison of number of patients with lacunes or CMBs. RESULTS: The hypertensive group showed a higher incidence of CMBs in lobar area (p<0.001) and basal ganglia (p=0.014). CMBs tend to be observed more frequently in the thalamus (p=0.058), brainstem (p=0.057), and cerebellum (p=0.052) in the hypertensive group. However, hypertensive group demonstrated a higher incidence of lacunes just in lobar area (p=0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CMBs may be a more sensitive neuroimaging marker of hypertensive arteriopathy in patients with CADASIL.