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Sakaeyama Y, Kondo K, Terazono S, Fuchinoue Y, Kubota S, Mikai M, Abe M, Sugo N, Nagao T, Nemoto M. Local and systemic factors associated with quantitative stiffness of carotid plaque. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2024; 166:54. [PMID: 38289409 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-024-05952-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Plaque stiffness in carotid artery stenosis is a clinically important factor involved in the development of stroke and surgical complications. The purpose of this study was to clarify which local and systemic factors are associated with the quantitatively measured stiffness of plaque. METHODS The subjects were 104 consecutive patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy at our institution. To measure quantitative stiffness of plaque, we used an industrial hard meter in the operating room within 1 h after removal of plaque. Local factors related to carotid plaque hardness were evaluated, including maximum intima-media thickness (max IMT), degree of stenosis using the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST), presence of ulceration or calcification, and echo brightness on preoperative carotid ultrasound. The degree of stenosis was also evaluated using the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial method in digital subtraction angiography. Age, sex, and presence or absence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride [TG] levels) served as systemic factors and were compared with the quantitative stiffness of carotid plaque. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, ECST stenosis degree, calcification, and IMT max as local factors affected plaque stiffness. As a systemic factor, plaque stiffness was statistically significantly negatively correlated with TG values in multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The quantitative stiffness of the plaque was negatively correlated with TG levels as a systemic factor in addition to local factors. This might suggest that reducing high TG levels is associated with plaque stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Sakaeyama
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Kosuke Kondo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Sayaka Terazono
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Yutaka Fuchinoue
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | | | - Masataka Mikai
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | | | - Nobuo Sugo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omori-Nishi, Ota-Ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
| | - Takaaki Nagao
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-City, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nemoto
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-City, Chiba, Japan
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Nagao T, Nemoto M, Sugo N, Harada N, Masuda H, Nagao T, Shibuya K, Kondo K. Relationship Between Quantitative Tumor Consistency and Pathological Factors in Intracranial Meningioma. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2023; 165:2895-2902. [PMID: 37432556 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-023-05712-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consistency of intracranial meningiomas is an important clinical factor because it affects the success of surgical resection. This study aimed at identifying and quantitatively measuring pathological factors that contribute to the consistency of meningiomas. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between these factors and preoperative neuroradiological imaging. METHODS We analyzed 42 intracranial meningioma specimens, which had been removed at our institution between October 2012 and March 2018. Consistency was measured quantitatively after resection using an industrial stiffness meter. For pathological evaluation, we quantitatively measured the collagen-fiber content through binarization of images of Azan-Mallory-stained section. We assessed calcification and necrosis semi-quantitatively using images acquired of Hematoxylin and Eosin stained samples. The relationship between collagen-fiber content rate and imaging findings was examined. RESULTS The content of collagen fibers significantly positively correlated with meningioma consistency (p < 0.0001). Collagen-fiber content was significantly higher in low- and iso-intensity regions compared with high-intensity regions on the magnetic resonance T2-weighted images (p = 0.0148 and p = 0.0394, respectively). Calcification and necrosis showed no correlation with tumor consistency. CONCLUSIONS The quantitative hardness of intracranial meningiomas positively correlated with collagen-fiber content; thus, the amount of collagen fibers may be a factor that determines the hardness of intracranial meningiomas. Our results demonstrate that T2-weighted images reflect the collagen-fiber content and are useful for estimating tumor consistency preoperatively and non-invasively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Nagao
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-shi, Chiba, Japan.
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Masaaki Nemoto
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobuo Sugo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Harada
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Masuda
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takeki Nagao
- Department of Neurosurgery (Sakura), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Sakura-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Shibuya
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kosuke Kondo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Fukushima D, Kondo K, Harada N, Terazono S, Uchino K, Shibuya K, Sugo N. Quantitative comparison between carotid plaque hardness and histopathological findings: an observational study. Diagn Pathol 2022; 17:58. [PMID: 35818059 PMCID: PMC9275256 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01239-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plaque hardness in carotid artery stenosis correlates with cerebral infarction. This study aimed to quantitatively compare plaque hardness with histopathological findings and identify the pathological factors involved in plaque hardness. Methods This study included 84 patients (89 lesions) undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) at our institution. Plaque hardness was quantitatively measured immediately after excision using a hardness meter. Collagen and calcification were evaluated as the pathological factors. Collagen was stained with Elastica van Gieson stain, converted to a gray-scale image, and displayed in a 256-step histogram. The median gray-scale median (GSM) was used as the collagen content. The degree of calcification was defined by the hematoxylin–eosin stain as follows: "0:" no calcification, "1:" scattered microcalcification, or "2:" calcification greater than 1 mm or more than 2% of the total calcification. Carotid echocardiographic findings, specifically echoluminance or the brightness of the narrowest lesion of the plaque, classified as hypo-, iso-, or hyper-echoic by comparison with the intima-media complex surrounding the plaque, and clinical data were reviewed. Results Plaque hardness was significantly negatively correlated with GSM [Spearman's correlation coefficient: -0.7137 (p < 0.0001)]: the harder the plaque, the higher the collagen content. There were significant differences between plaque hardness and degree of calcification between "0" and "2" (p = 0.0206). For plaque hardness and echoluminance (hypo-iso-hyper), significant differences were found between hypo-iso (p = 0.0220), hypo-hyper (p = 0.0006), and iso-hyper (p = 0.0015): the harder the plaque, the higher the luminance. In single regression analysis, GSM, sex, and diabetes mellitus were significant variables, and in multiple regression analysis, only GSM was extracted as a significant variable. Conclusions Plaque hardness was associated with a higher amount of collagen, which is the main component of the fibrous cap. Greater plaque hardness was associated with increased plaque stability. The degree of calcification may also be associated with plaque hardness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Fukushima
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
| | - Kosuke Kondo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Harada
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Sayaka Terazono
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Kei Uchino
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Shibuya
- Department of Pathology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuo Sugo
- Department of Neurosurgery (Omori), School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan
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Wehrum T, Günther F, Kams M, Wendel S, Strecker C, Mirzaee H, Harloff A. Quantification of aortic stiffness in stroke patients using 4D flow MRI in comparison with transesophageal echocardiography. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2018; 34:1629-1636. [PMID: 29799061 DOI: 10.1007/s10554-018-1369-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
To quantify stiffness of the descending aorta (DAo) in stroke patients using 4D flow MRI and compare results with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). 48 acute stroke patients undergoing 4D flow MRI and TEE were included. Intima-media-thickness (IMT) was measured in the DAo and the aorta was scrutinized for atherosclerotic plaques using TEE. Stiffness of the DAo was determined by (a) 4D flow MRI at 3 T by calculating pulse wave velocity (PWV) and by (b) TEE calculating arterial strain, stiffness index, and distensibility coefficient. Mean IMT was 1.43 ± 1.75. 7 (14.6%) subjects had no sign of atherosclerosis, 10 (20.8%) had IMT-thickening or plaques < 4 mm, and 31 (66.7%) had at least one large and/or complex plaque in the aorta. Increased IMT significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with increased DAo stiffness in MRI (PWV r = 0.66) and in TEE (strain r = 0.57, stiffness index r = 0.64, distensibility coefficient r = 0.57). Patients with at least IMT-thickening had significantly higher stiffness values compared to patients without atherosclerosis. However, no difference was observed between patients with plaques < 4 mm and patients with plaques ≥ 4 mm. PWV and TEE parameters of stiffness correlated significantly [strain (r = - 0.36; p = 0.011), stiffness index (r = 0.51; p = 0.002), and distensibility coefficient (r = - 0.59; p < 0.001)]. 4D flow MRI and TEE-based parameters of aortic stiffness were associated with markers of atherosclerosis such as IMT-thickness and presence of plaques. We believe that 4D flow MRI is a promising tool for future studies of aortic atherosclerosis, due to its longer coverage of the aorta and non-invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wehrum
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Felix Günther
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Kams
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Wendel
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Strecker
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Harloff
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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