On the Relationship between Oketsu Syndrome and the Distribution of Multiple Cerebral Infarction on Magnetic Resonance Imaging / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

The authors examined the ralationship between ‘Oketsu’ syndrome and multiple cerebral infarction. In the 59 patients (62.8±9.5 years of age; 43 male and 16 female) with multiple cerebral infarction who had undergone MRI examinations, the authors evaluated the ‘Oketsu’ score, DEA (maximum diameter of the column of intravasclar erythrocyte aggregation) and erythrocyte aggregability.<br>The control group, 18 subjects (61.2±9.3 years of age; 11 male and 7 female) had no findings of cerebral infaction upon MRI examination.<br>In the patient group, the ‘Oketsu’ score was higher than the control group (P<0.0001) and microcirculation was significantly impaired (P<0.01).<br>According to localization of foci in the MRI study, the microcircuation was particularly impaired when infarctions occurred in areas controlled by the cortical branches (P<0.05).<br>Both symptomatic and asymptomatic infarctions presented high ‘Oketsu’ scores and impairment of microcirculation.<br>Erythrocyte aggregability significantly increased in patients in the multiple infarction symptomatic group (P<0.05). Particulaly, patients suffering from cerebral infarctions in the cortical branches had more severe erythrocyte aggregation.