Abstract: This study presents some strengths. First, consecutive patients are studied on a prospective registry. Second, we use quantitative methods to evaluate arterial calcification, which contain both calcium volume and density information, and reflect the severity of intracranial arterial calcification most objectively and authentically. Third, we evaluate intracranial arterial calcification on unenhanced head CT, which is noninvasive and easily available in general hospitals. Finally, this is a very long-term study and the majority of patients are successfully followed up. On the other hand, one limitation in this study is the small sample size among different stroke subtypes. However, as a preliminary study it can provide considerable value for reference in future clinical research.
Keywords: brain CT, cerebral artery stenosis, intracranial micro-embolism