Clinical and Imaging Characteristics of Cerebral Infarction in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Combined with Cerebral Artery Stenosis

Aims: Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation often occurs in combination with carotid atherosclerosis, but less is known about it in combination with cerebral artery stenosis. This study investigated the characteristics of cerebral infarction in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with or without cerebral artery stenosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 172 cerebral infarction patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation hospitalized at the Affiliated Ganzhou Hospital of Nanchang University between December 2011 and January 2016. The patients were divided into two groups (stenosis and non-stenosis groups) based on whether the cerebral infarction was combined with cerebral artery stenosis or not. Clinical characteristics, related supplementary examination, and the imaging characteristics of cerebral infarction lesions were compared between the groups. Results: Mean age [(75.73+-8.46) years vs. (63.44+-9.95) years], National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score [(8.66+-6.73) vs. (4.59+-3.51)], CHA2DS2-VASc score [(2.93+-1.40) vs. (0.96+-0.98)], history of hypertension (74.4% vs. 30.0%), and history of stroke/ transient ischemic attack (TIA) (55.8% vs. 13.3%) were higher in the stenosis group (n=107) than in the non-stenosis group (n= 65) (P