Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36008791›Full record

Observational studyBMC neurology2022

Characteristics of non-stenotic carotid plaque in embolic stroke of undetermined source compared with cardiogenic embolism: a retrospective cross-sectional observational study.

Lihao Zhang, Yikun Guo, Wang Zhou, Shumin Zhu, Zhuoyou Chen, Guanzhong Dong, Yin Cao

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC neurology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lihao ZhangDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Yikun GuoDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Wang ZhouDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Shumin ZhuDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Zhuoyou ChenDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Guanzhong DongDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Yin CaoDepartment of Neurology, The Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 68# Middle Gehu Road, Changzhou, 213164, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. zq20210720@163.com.
Nanjing Medical University · CNChangzhou No.2 People's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-stenotic carotid plaque is considered an important etiology of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). However, only a few previous studies included a negative control group, and the characteristics of non-stenotic carotid plaque in ESUS have yet to be investigated. The objective of this study is to explore the clinical characteristics of ESUS and the correlation between non-stenotic carotid plaque and ESUS.

methodsThis is a single-center, retrospective cross-sectional observational study conducted to compare differences in clinical information among ESUS, CE, and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), as well as the prevalence of non-stenotic carotid plaque and non-stenotic carotid plaque with low echo between patients with ESUS and CE in Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital from January 2020 to January 2022. Ultrasound was used to evaluate the characteristics of non-stenotic carotid plaque and vulnerable carotid plaque was defined as plaque with low echo. The binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the characteristics of non-stenotic carotid plaque and ESUS. The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the characteristics of non-stenotic carotid plaque for ESUS.

resultsWe had a final studying population of 280 patients including 81 with ESUS, 37 with CE, and 162 with LAA. There were no differences in clinical features between ESUS and LAA, but in the comparison of CE and ESUS, there were differences in age, smoking, hypertension, levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. In ESUS, the prevalence of non-stenotic carotid plaque was more common on the ipsilateral side of stroke than in CE [55 (67.90%) vs. 18 (48.65%), p = 0.046], so was the prevalence of non-stenotic carotid plaque with low echo [38 (46.91%) vs. 5 (13.51%), p < 0.001]. Logistic regression analysis showed that the prevalence of non-stenotic carotid plaque (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 1.45-12.11; p = 0.008) and the prevalence of non-stenotic carotid plaque with low echo (OR: 5.12; 95% CI: 1.55-16.93; p = 0.007) were, respectively, the independent predictors of ESUS. The results receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the combination of age, hypertension, and ipsilateral non-stenotic carotid plaque with low echo had the best diagnostic efficiency for ESUS (0.811; 95%CI: 0.727-0.896; p < 0.001).

conclusionOur results suggest that ipsilateral vulnerable non-stenotic carotid plaque is associated with ESUS in anterior circulation infarction.

Indexed as

Embolic StrokeEmbolismHypertensionIntracranial EmbolismPlaque, AtheroscleroticStrokeCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPlaque, AmyloidRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsCardiogenic embolismEmbolic stroke of undetermined sourceNon-stenotic carotid plaqueUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID36008791
PMCPMC9404624
OpenAlexW4293089800

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.