Computerized Tomographic anatomy of major intracranial arterial calcifications in correlation with biochemical assessments in different age & gender groups in Iraqis

Intracranial arterial calcification is a condition in which calcium deposit on the wall of blood vessels at various sites of the brain tissues. The calcification can be normal or pathological. Aims of study:The aims of this study to correlate between intracranial calcifications and lipid profile, Malondialehyde (MDA) level, and body mass index (BMI). And to reveal a significant association between intracranial arterial calcification and lipid profile, MDA level, and BMI in relation to gender and age groups. Subjects & material: The study involved (200) Iraqi subjects, male (87) and female (113) . With ranging age between (18-80) years, who underwent cranial CT scan imaging from November 2011 to June 2012 at the department of radiology in AL-Hakeem hospital in AL-Najaf city. The data were evaluated by the chi-square test for categorical data and Independent sample t-test for measurement data. We set P value <0.05 as significant association.
Results: Of the (113) female, (23) 20.4% have intracranial arterial calcification, and of the (87) male, ( 23 ) 26.4% have intracranial arterial calcification. No significant association occur in this study between intracranial arterial calcification and gender (P= 0.577). A highly significant association was found between age and intracranial arterial calcifications (P= < 0.001) . A Significant association occur in this study between intracranial calcification and lipid profile, and BMI (P=<0.001), and no significant association between intracranial calcifications and MDA level (P= 0.318). A significant association revealed between intracranial arterial calcification and lipid profile, and BMI (P=< 0.001). No significant association revealed between intracranial arterial calcification and MDA level (P= 0.326). No significant association was found in the site distribution of intracranial arterial calcification and age groups (P= 0.177), and gender (P= 0.584).
A significant association was found between intracranial arterial calcification in age groups less than 50 years with lipid profile and BMI (P=<0.001) but no significant association revealed with MDA(P=0.67) in the above age group, and no significant association revealed between intracranial arterial calcification in age groups more than or equal 50 years and lipid profile, MDA and BMI. No significant association was found between the size of intracranial arterial Calcification and lipid profile, MDA, and BMI, except there was a significant association between the size of calcification of basilar artery and MDA ( P= 0.001).
Conclusion: Intracranial arterial calcifications can be detected by CT scan, and can be considered a normal consequence of vessel degeneration and aging process, but in this study showed a degree of correlation between lipid profile and BMI with the intracranial arterial calcification even in age group less than 50 years . So the preventive treatment of lipid profile level and BMI will decrease the future intracranial arterial atherosclerosis and calcification.