Correlation between brain arteriolar sclerosis degree and cerebral infarction at different brain region

Guangming ZHU; Weiwei ZHANG; Yazhou WEI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The structural and functional changes in resistance arteriole of external diameter ＜300 μm is one of the pathological foundations for ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, however there are few quantitative study on the arterioles of various external diameter at different brain area.

OBJECTIVE:

To probe the difference of arteriolar sclerosis of various external diameter at different brain area after cerebral infarction.

DESIGN:

Sample investigation.

SETTING:

Department of Nerve Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Beijing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.

SUBJECTS:

Specimen was taken from donated autopsy case in General Hospital of Beijing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from January 1980 to September 2000. According to the clinical manifestation, brain CT inspection and pathological diagnosis of autopsy, 38 cases were defined as arteriosclerosis cerebral infarction and taken as experimental group, other 15 cases with non-cardiac cerebrovascular disease were taken as controls.

METHODS:

specimen was obtained in 1-3 days after death from frontal and parietal cerebral cortex and basal gonglion white matters (3 pieces /case) and cut into slices. Five fields of vision were selected from each slice for microscopic observation. Arteriole was divided into ＜ 50 μm group,50-100 μm group and ＞100 μm group according to the arteriole external diameter. (External diameter- internal diameter)/internal diameter was used to assess vascular sclerosis.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

[1] Difference of arteriole sclerosis between corresponding external diameter cerebral infarction group and control group. [2] Arteriole sclerosis in various brain region in cerebral infarction group.

RESULTS:

Totally 38 experimental cases died from arteriosclerosis cerebral infarction and 15 controls died from non-cardiac cerebrovascular disease were enrolled and all data was entered the result analysis. [1] The arteriolar sclerosis index was obviously higher in ＜ 50 μm external diameter cerebral infarction group than in 50-100 μm group and ＞100 μm group[(138.55±76.67)% vs (116.82±58.80)%, (78.07±32.06)%, P ＜ 0.01], while it was approximately the same in the 100 μm external diameter group and control group [(78.07±32.06)% vs (46.38±13.41)%, P=0.174 ]. [2] In ＜ 50 μm external diameter cerebral infarction group, the arteriolar sclerosis index in white matters was significantly higher than that in gray matter [(152.86±87.83)%,(127.97±64.76)%, P ＜ 0.05 ].

CONCLUSION:

Arteriolar sclerosis degree is correlated with its external diameter and position in patients with cerebral infarction after arteriosclerosis, arteriole of small external diameter or in the white matter has higher arteriolesclerosis liability.