<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of the study was to determine the
prevalence and the distribution pattern of lesion site of intracranial vascular
stenosis and to identify
risk factors for the
stenosis in
patients with
essential hypertension.</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>A total of 231 consecutive
inpatients with
essential hypertension were included in this study.
Patients with the
history of
cerebrovascular diseases and relevant neurological symptoms were excluded. Intracranial vascular
stenosis (>50% diameter reduction) was detected using
CT angiography (
CTA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 231
patients, 69 (29.87%) had intracranial
artery stenosis. The most common
stenosis site is
middle cerebral artery (43.69%), followed by carotid siphon (20.39%). The
stenosis in internal carotid arterial system (78.64%) was more common than in vertebrobasilar arterial system (21.56%, P < 0.05). The
patients with intracranial vascular
stenosis were older, had longer
history of
hypertension, higher levels of systolic
blood pressure, higher
plasma cholesterol, higher LDL-C. Lp (a), higher urinary microalbumin excretion, thicker
ventricular septum, and lower levels of HDL-C than the
patients without
stenosis. Logistic
analysis showed that systolic
blood pressure (OR 1.650, 95% CI 1.134 - 2.400, P = 0.023),
course of
hypertension (OR 1.238, 95% CI 1.072 - 1.429, P = 0.006), LDL-C (OR 2.103, 95% CI 1.157 - 3.823, P = 0.014) and
type 2 diabetes (OR 2.325, 95% CI 1.161 - 4.341, P = 0.011) were the independent
risk factors of asymptomatic intracranial arterial
stenosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Nearly 30%
inpatients with
essential hypertension had asymptomatic intracranial
artery stenosis. The most common site of
stenosis was
middle cerebral artery.
Hypertension,
dyslipidemia and diabetes were
risk factors for the development of intracranial arterial
stenosis.</p>