Morphology of Advanced Symptomatic Cerebral Plaques With High Embolic Potential

Other illness

• Stroke etiology uncertain or unrelated to intracranial atherosclerosis, such as cardioembolism, Moyamoya disease, small vessel disease, etc.
• A medical condition that would not allow the patient to adhere to the protocol or complete the study.

Lab values

• Bleeding propensity: active peptic ulcer disease, major systemic hemorrhage within 30 days, thrombocytopenia (platelets \<100 x 109/L), coagulopathy (INR \>1.5).

Other

• Subject who meets one or more of the following criteria cannot be recruited in the study:
• A tandem stenosis \>50% at proximal internal carotid artery.

• Inclusion Criteria for the Symptomatic Group:
  • Patient is 30 to 85 years of age, inclusive.
  • Patients who have an acute infarct in diffusion-weighted MRI compatible with artery-to-artery thrombo-embolism, a relevant intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis ≥60%, and MES detected by TCD.
  • Patient who has no contra-indication for the proposed imaging tests.
  • Patient understands the purpose and requirements of the study, and has provided an informed consent.
• Inclusion Criteria for the Asymptomatic Group:
  • Patient is 30 to 85 years of age, inclusive.
  • Patient who has a high-grade (\>60%) intracranial stenosis (signal void in MR angiography) but without infarct in the corresponding vascular territory in DWI or T2-weighted sequence.
  • Patient has no MES detected on TCD examination.
  • Patient who has no contra-indication for the proposed imaging tests.
  • Patient understands the purpose and requirements of the study, and has provided an informed consent.