Different Risk Factor Profiles between Silent Brain Infarction and Symptomatic Lacunar Infarction

Background/Aims: It is generally assumed that silent brain infarction (SBI) and symptomatic lacunar infarction (sLAC) share common vascular risk factors and their pathogeneses are known to be similar. However, few studies have conducted a risk factor profile analysis of the two diseases in a single study design. Methods: This study included 64 subjects with SBI lesions, 140 patients with sLAC, and 342 controls by retrospective investigation of brain MRI. Topographic findings and vascular risk factor profiles were compared. Results and Conclusion: Compared to the controls, the SBI group was found to be associated with hypertension (p = 0.002) and elevated plasma total homocysteine level (p = 0.02). The sLAC group was found to be associated with hypertension (p = 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.004), smoking (p = 0.002), ischemic heart disease (p = 0.01) and hyperlipidemia (p = 0.04). In the present study, risk factor profiles of the SBI and sLAC were not exactly the same, indicating a different pathogenesis between the two diseases. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel