Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with and without basilar artery plaque
| Plaque (+) (n=64) | Plaque (-) (n=32) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 71±10 | 65±11 | 0.32 |
| Male sex | 32 (50.0) | 15 (46.9) | 0.83 |
| Hypertension | 48 (75.0) | 23 (71.9) | 0.81 |
| Diabetes | 24 (37.5) | 14 (43.8) | 0.66 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 44 (68.8) | 21 (65.6) | 0.82 |
| Smoking | 22 (34.4) | 11 (34.4) | 1.00 |
| Type of pontine infarction | |||
| Paramedian | 51 (79.7) | 19 (59.4) | 0.01 |
| Deep | 6 (9.4) | 11 (34.4) | |
| Lateral | 7 (10.9) | 2 (6.2) | |
| Vertical location | |||
| Rostral | 16 (25.0) | 15 (46.9) | 0.09 |
| Middle | 31 (48.4) | 10 (31.2) | |
| Caudal | 17 (26.5) | 7 (21.9) | |
| Discharge NIHSS score | 4 (3–5) | 2 (1–4) | 0.006 |
| Discharge mRS score | 2 (2–3) | 1 (1–3) | 0.007 |
| Angles of vertebrobasilar arteries | |||
| BA-VA angle (º) | 35±13 | 23±13 | <0.001 |
| Mid-BA angle (º) | 25±17 | 23±19 | 0.68 |
Values are presented as mean±standard deviation, number (%), or median (interquartile range).
NIHSS, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; BA, basilar artery; VA, vertebral artery.