Association of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque features with total cerebral small vessel disease burden: a retrospective study in branch atheromatous disease

In ischemic stroke patients, distinct intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) plaque features correlate with specific CSVD phenotypes. Vulnerable plaques not only significantly increase total CSVD burden but also effectively predict CSVD severity. These findings elucidate how ICAS influences CSVD burden progression from an HR-MRI perspective and facilitate clinical risk stratification.