# Potential correlation between dental caries and intracranial aneurysm: an innovative prognostic marker for intracranial aneurysm development

## TL;DR

This study suggests that dental caries may be a new indicator for predicting the development of intracranial aneurysms, a serious brain condition.

## Contribution

The study identifies dental caries as a novel potential prognostic marker for intracranial aneurysm development.

## Key findings

- Participants with intracranial aneurysms had a significantly higher prevalence of dental caries compared to those without.
- The presence of dental caries was found to be significantly associated with intracranial aneurysm occurrence in logistic regression analysis.
- A history of root canal treatment was also significantly linked to intracranial aneurysm occurrence.

## Abstract

The prevalence of intracranial aneurysm (IA) in the population is approximately 3–7%, with a rupture mortality rate as high as 40%. Identification of risk factors for IA occurrence and provision of targeted preventive and therapeutic measures are crucial for clinical diagnosis of IA. Dental caries is a common oral disease that affects the global population. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential connection between dental caries and the incidence of IA.

We conducted a single-center retrospective 1:1 matched case-control study to assess the correlation between dental caries and the occurrence of IA among 230 participants. Participants were categorized into IA and non-IA groups. All participants underwent cerebral digital subtraction angiography or magnetic resonance angiography, as well as oral assessment. Using binary logistic regression analyses, we examined whether presence of dental caries was correlated with the occurrence of IA.

Compared with the non-IA group, the IA group exhibited a greater prevalence of dental caries (90.44% vs. 56.52%) and a greater prevalence of history of root canal treatment (73.91% vs. 48.70%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significance between the presence of dental caries (OR: 4.14, 95% CI: 1.35–12.66) and IA occurrence. Also, the history of root canal treatment (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.09–3.79) were significantly associated with IA occurrence (all p < 0.05).

Dental caries was significantly associated with the incidence of IA. Cariogenic bacteria may enter the systemic circulation through pulp, potentially leading to pathological changes in normal cerebral blood vessels, such as the development of IA.