Carotid vulnerable plaque coexisting with cerebral small vessel disease and acute ischemic stroke: a Chinese Atherosclerosis Risk Evaluation study.

gov , unique identifier: NCT02017756 KEY POINTS: • Carotid vulnerable plaque features coexisting with cerebral small vessel diseases, such as lacunes, had a stronger association with acute ischemic stroke compared to single diseases in symptomatic patients. • A comprehensive assessment of coexisting cerebrovascular diseases may help stratify the risk of acute ischemic stroke.