Very Small Cerebral Lesions May Increase Risk of Stroke
Cerebral lesions of 3 mm or smaller, detected by MRI, may increase risk of stroke and death.
Magnetic resonance imaging detects very small cerebrovascular lesions, which may be associated with increased risks for stroke and death, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Mississippi, Maryland, Washington, Minnesota, and North Carolina sought to determine stroke risks associated with brain lesions 3 mm or smaller, which are typically ignored by clinicians, and white matter hypersensitivities (WMHs).
A total of 1,884 subjects, aged 50 to 73, with no prior history of stroke, participated in the study. All underwent MRI of the brain. The researchers evaluated:
• Lesion size
• WMH score (scale of 0 to 9)
• Incident stroke
• All-cause mortality
• Stroke-related mortality
Follow-up was an average of 14.5 years.
The results showed that the stroke risk was tripled among patients who had lesions that were 3 mm or smaller, compared with patients who had no lesions seen by MRI. There were:
• 157 clinical strokes (89% were ischemic strokes)
• 50 stroke-related deaths
• 576 all-cause deaths
The researchers concluded that these very small cerebrovascular lesions may be associated with an increased risk of stroke and death, but more study is needed.
Newsletter
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current and Emerging Insights on Abbreviated Breast MRI, Part 3
August 5th 2025In the last of a three-part podcast episode, Stamatia Destounis, MD, Emily Conant, MD and Habib Rahbar, MD, share additional insights on practical considerations and potential challenges in integrating abbreviated breast MRI into clinical practice, and offer their thoughts on future research directions.
The Reading Room Podcast: A Closer Look at Remote MRI Safety, Part 3
August 5th 2025In the third of a three-part podcast episode, Emanuel Kanal, M.D. and Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE, discuss strategies for maintaining the integrity of time-out procedures and communication with remote MRI scanning.
Study Reveals Significant Prevalence of Abnormal PET/MRI and Dual-Energy CT Findings with Long Covid
August 5th 2025In a prospective study involving nearly 100 patients with Long Covid, 57 percent of patients had PET/MRI abnormalities and 90 percent of the cohort had abnormalities on dual-energy CT scans.
