Magnetic resonance imaging-based scores of small vessel diseases: Associations with intracerebral haemorrhage location

Total small vessel disease (SVD) score and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) score are magnetic resonance imaging-based composite scores built to preferentially capture deep perforator arteriopathy-related and CAA-related SVD burden, respectively. Non-lobar intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is related to deep perforator arteriopathy, while lobar ICH can be associated with deep perforator arteriopathy or CAA; however, the associations between ICH location and these scores are not established. In this post-hoc analysis from a prospective cohort study, we included 153 spontaneous non-cerebellar ICH patients. Wald test, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate the association between each score (and individual score components) and ICH location. Total SVD score was associated with non-lobar ICH location (Wald test: unadjusted, p = 0.017; adjusted, p = 0.003); however, no individual component of total SVD score was significantly associated with non-lobar ICH. CAA score was not significantly associated with lobar location (Wald test: unadjusted, p = 0.056; adjusted, p = 0.126); cortical superficial siderosis (OR 8.85 [95%CI 1.23–63.65], p = 0.030) and ≥ 2 strictly lobar microbleeds (OR 1.63 [95%CI 1.04–2.55], p = 0.035) were related with lobar ICH location, while white matter hyperintensities showed an inverse relation (OR 0.53 [95%CI 0.26–1.08; p = 0.081]). Total SVD score was associated with non-lobar ICH location. The lack of significant association between CAA score and lobar ICH may in part be due to the mixed aetiology of lobar ICH, and to the inclusion of white matter hyperintensities, a non-specific marker of SVD type, in the CAA score. •Two MRI-based composite scores aim to capture different types of small vessel disease.•We applied both scores in a mixed population with intracerebral haemorrhage.•“Total SVD score” is associated with non-lobar intracerebral haemorrhage location.•“CAA score” is not associated with lobar intracerebral haemorrhage location.•White matter hyperintensities seem to be non-specific for small vessel disease type.