Association between Anatomical Variations of the Circle of Willis and Covert Vascular Brain Injury in the General Population.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

The circle of Willis (COW) is a circulatory anastomosis located at the base of the brain. Little is known about the association between covert vascular brain injury and COW configurations in the general population. We explored this relationship in a community-based Chinese sample.

Methods

A total of 1,055 patients (mean age, 54.8 ± 8.9 years; 36.0% men) without intracranial arterial stenosis were included in the analysis. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate the presence of imaging markers of covert vascular brain injury, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), enlarged perivascular spaces, and brain atrophy. Magnetic resonance angiography was used to classify the COW configurations accordin

SUBMITTER: Feng L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10568604 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature