Burden And Distribution Of Cerebral Microbleeds Predict Long-Term Mortality In Lacunar Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are frequently observed in patients with lacunar infarction. CMBs are associated with an increased risk of mortality in stroke patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and in the elderly population. We investigated the association of CMBs with long-term mortality in patients with lacunar infarction according to characteristics of CMBs. Methods: This was a retrospective hospital-based observational study. This study included 315 patients with first-ever lacunar infarction who underwent brain gradient-recalled echo imaging. The mortality data were obtained from the Korean National Statistical Office. By using a Cox regression analysis, we investigated the relationship between CMB characteristics and all-cause, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke mortality. Results: CMBs were noted in 17.5% of patients (55/315). During a follow-up of 4.8 median years (interquartile range, 3.4-6.2 years), 43 patients (13.7%) died (ischemic stroke, 8; hemorrhagic stroke, 3). In multivariate analysis (age, sex p Conclusions: The presence, multiplicity, and distribution of CMBs were predictive of long-term mortality in acute lacunar infarction. The detection and evaluation of CMBs are of value in predicting long-term prognosis in patients with lacunar infarction.