BORDERZONE SMALL DEEP INFARCTS - VASCULAR RISK-FACTORS AND RELATIONSHIP WITH SIGNS OF SMALL-VESSEL AND LARGE-VESSEL DISEASE

From an ongoing stroke registry, including all patients with a first c erebral infarct, we studied 41 borderzone small deep infarcts (SDIs) i n comparison with 123 remaining SDIs, We noted vascular risk factors, presence of a carotid occlusion or stenosis > 50%, and the presence of asymptomatic lesions on CT. By univariate analysis and subsequent mul tivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that carotid stenosis /occlusion was more frequent among the borderzone group, but this diff erence was not statistically significant. The vascular risk factor pro file was similar in both groups. Asymptomatic lesions, but especially asymptomatic borderzone small deep lesions were significantly more fre quent among the symptomatic borderzone group. We conclude that carotid stenosis is not a numerically important contributor to the occurrence of borderzone SDI; generalised small-vessel disease may be more impor tant in this respect. Therefore borderzone SDIs are most likely due to haemodynamic compromise in the distal supply areas of the perforating arteries.