The impact of glucose fluctuation on intracranial artery stenosis remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the association between glucose fluctuation and intracranial artery stenosis. This was a cross-sectional study of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients equipped with the FreeStyle Libre Pro continuous glucose monitoring system (Abbott Laboratories) between February 2019 and June 2020. Glucose fluctuation was evaluated according to the standard deviation (SD) of blood glucose, coefficient of variation (%CV), and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE). Magnetic resonance angiography was used to evaluate the degree of intracranial artery stenosis. Of the 103 patients, 8 patients developed severe internal carotid artery (ICA) siphon stenosis (≥70%). SD, %CV, and MAGE were significantly higher in the severe stenosis group than in the non-severe stenosis group (<70%), whereas there was no significant intergroup difference in the mean blood glucose and HbA1c. Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex showed that SD, %CV, and MAGE were independent factors associated with severe ICA siphon stenosis. In conclusion, glucose fluctuation is significantly associated with severe ICA siphon stenosis in T2DM patients. Thus, glucose fluctuation can be a target of preventive therapies for intracranial artery stenosis and ischemic stroke.

Introduction: The correlation between the composition of thrombi retrieved by mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and stroke etiology is inconclusive. We describe a case with atherosclerotic components in thrombi retrieved by MT for acute internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion.Case Presentation: A 69-year-old man with acute onset of global aphasia and right hemiplegia was transferred to our institute. His baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 24. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated acute ischemic stroke in the left parietal lobe. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed occlusion of the left ICA. MT was attempted for acute left ICA occlusion. The initial angiography showed occlusion of the proximal ICA, while intraprocedural angiography revealed a large thrombus that extended from the cervical ICA to the intracranial ICA. Successful reperfusion was achieved by five passes using stent retrievers and an aspiration catheter. A large volume of red thrombus was retrieved by each pass. The final angiogram showed successful reperfusion with modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia grade 2b and severe stenosis in the proximal ICA. Neck magnetic resonance imaging showed severe left ICA stenosis with a vulnerable plaque. Hence, his stroke etiology was determined as large artery atherosclerosis. Histopathological examination of the retrieved thrombi revealed atheromatous components, including cholesterol clefts, foam cells, and a necrotic core.Conclusions: Atherosclerotic components in retrieved thrombi might provide useful clues for diagnosing stroke pathogenesis. Further studies are warranted to clarify the utility of assessing atheromatous components in retrieved thrombi in diagnosing stroke etiology.

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