Comment on “Bilirubin: a novel predictor of hemorrhagic transformation and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after mechanical thrombectomy”

Background Mechanical thrombectomy has become the standard care for acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion. However, complete reperfusion cannot be achieved in all cases, and several factors influencing the results of mechanical thrombectomy have been investigated. Among others, a tortuous anatomy is associated with lower rates of complete reperfusion. We aimed to investigate whether an early division of the middle cerebral artery has an impact on reperfusion results in mechanical thrombectomy. Methods Retrospective review of consecutive patients with M1 occlusion treated endovascularly between January 2016 and December 2019 at three tertiary care centers. The study group was dichotomized based on the length of the M1 segment. Early division of the middle cerebral artery was defined as a maximum length of 10 mm of the M1 segment. Primary endpoints were first-pass mTICI scores of 3, ≥2c, and ≥2b. Secondary endpoints contained final reperfusion, number of device-passes, time interval from groin puncture to reperfusion, rate of postinterventional symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and frequency of emboli of new territory. Results Among 284 included patients, 70 presented with an early division of the M1 segment (25%). Reperfusion results did not differ significantly between early and late division of M1. A higher rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was found in the group with an early M1 division treated with aspiration only (14.3% vs. 0%; p = 0.013). Patients with late M1 division had a significantly higher rate of large artery sclerosis (19.2% vs. 8.6%, p = 0.039). Conclusion The anatomic variant of an early division of the middle cerebral artery was not a predictor for incomplete reperfusion.

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Intra-Arterial Adjunctive Medications for Acute Ischemic Stroke During Mechanical Thrombectomy

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.120.031738 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (4) ◽

pp. 1192-1202

Author(s):

Vanessa H.E. Chen ◽

Grace K.H. Lee ◽

Choon-Han Tan ◽

Aloysius S.T. Leow ◽

Ying-Kiat Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Risk Ratio ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Tissue Type ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose: In patients with acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion, the role of intra-arterial adjunctive medications (IAMs), such as urokinase, tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator), or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has not been clearly established. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of concomitant or rescue IAM for acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion patients undergoing MT. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register databases from inception until March 13, 2020. We analyzed all studies with patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion in the anterior or posterior circulation that provided data for the two treatment arms, (1) MT+IAM and (2) MT only, and also reported on at least one of the following efficacy outcomes, recanalization and 90-day modified Rankin Scale, or safety outcomes, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and 90-day mortality. Data were collated in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results: Sixteen nonrandomized observational studies with a total of 4581 patients were analyzed. MT only was performed in 3233 (70.6%) patients, while 1348 (29.4%) patients were treated with both MT and IAM. As compared with patients treated with MT alone, patients treated with combination therapy (MT+IAM) had a higher likelihood of achieving good functional outcome (risk ratio, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.03–1.24]) and a lower risk of 90-day mortality (risk ratio, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.72–0.94]). There was no significant difference in successful recanalization (risk ratio, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.99–1.06]) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the two groups (risk ratio, 1.13 [95% CI, 0.87–1.46]). Conclusions: In acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion, the use of IAM together with MT may achieve better functional outcomes and lower mortality rates. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to establish the safety and efficacy of IAM as adjunctive treatment to MT.

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Intracranial Stenting as Rescue Therapy After Failure of Mechanical Thrombectomy for Basilar Artery Occlusion: Data From the ANGEL-ACT Registry

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.739213 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Gang Luo ◽

Feng Gao ◽

Xuelei Zhang ◽

Baixue Jia ◽

Xiaochuan Huo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Rescue Therapy ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose: Studies on rescue therapy for acute posterior circulation stroke due to basilar artery occlusion (BAO) are limited in the modern era of mechanical thrombectomy (MT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rescue stenting (RS) following MT failure in patients with BAO.Methods: Data were collected from the Endovascular Treatment Key Technique and Emergency Work Flow Improvement of Acute Ischemic Stroke (ANGEL-ACT) prospective registry in China. Patients who underwent MT for BAO with failure of recanalization were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into the RS and non-RS groups. Clinical and laboratory findings, procedural details, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results: Overall, 93 patients with acute BAO were analyzed. The RS group included 81 (87.1%) patients, and the non-RS group included 12 patients. A modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score of 2b/3 was achieved in 75 (92.6%) patients in the RS group. Compared with the non-RS group, the RS group had a significantly higher rate of successful recanalization and favorable clinical outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days post-procedure, 0–3: 16.7 vs. 51.9%, respectively; P = 0.023) without an increase in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and a significantly lower mortality rate (58.3 vs. 18.5%, respectively; P = 0.006). Furthermore, the use of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor improved the rate of recanalization of the target artery without increasing the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.Conclusions: Permanent stenting appears to be a feasible rescue modality when MT fails and might provide functional benefits in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to BAO.

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Mechanical Thrombectomy Up to 24 Hours in Large Vessel Occlusions and Infarct Velocity Assessment

Journal of the American Heart Association ◽

10.1161/jaha.121.022880 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Manabu Inoue ◽

Takeshi Yoshimoto ◽

Kanta Tanaka ◽

Junpei Koge ◽

Masayuki Shiozawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Growth Velocity ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Late Time ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Excellent Outcome ◽

Good Outcome ◽

Perfusion Weighted Imaging ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

Background We retrospectively compared early‐ (<6 hours) versus late‐ (6–24 hours) presenting patients using perfusion‐weighted imaging selection and evaluated clinical/radiographic outcomes. Methods and Results Large vessel occlusion patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy from August 2017 to July 2020 within 24 hours of onset were retrieved from a single‐center database. Perfusion‐weighted imaging was analyzed by automated software and final infarct volume was measured semi‐automatically within 14 days. The primary end point was good outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0–2 at 90 days). Secondary end points were excellent outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0–1 at 90 days), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and death. Clinical characteristics/radiological values including hypoperfusion volume and infarct growth velocity (baseline volume/onset‐to‐image time) were compared between the groups. Of 1294 patients, 118 patients were included. The median age was 74 years, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 14, and core volume was 13 mL. The late‐presenting group had more female patients (67% versus 31%, respectively; P =0.001). No statistically significant differences were seen in good outcome (42% versus 53%, respectively; P =0.30), excellent outcome (26% versus 32%, respectively; P =0.51), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (6.5% versus 4.6%, respectively; P =0.74), and death (3.2% versus 5.7%, respectively; P =0.58) between the groups. The late‐presenting group had more atherothrombotic cerebral infarction (19% versus 6%, respectively; P =0.03), smaller hypoperfusion volume (median: 77 versus 133 mL, respectively; P =0.04), and slower infarct growth velocity (median: 0.6 versus 5.1 mL/h, respectively; P =0.03). Conclusions Patients with early‐ and late‐time windows treated with mechanical thrombectomy by automated perfusion‐weighted imaging selection have similar outcomes, comparable with those in randomized trials, but different in infarct growth velocities. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02251665.

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Abstract TP69: Association Between DWI-FLAIR Mismatch and Functional Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.tp69 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Fumihiro Sakakibara ◽

Kazutaka Uchida ◽

Soichiro Numa ◽

Shinichi Yoshimura ◽

Takeshi Morimoto

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Ischemic Lesion ◽

Historical Cohort ◽

Good Marker ◽

Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose: Diffusion weighted imaging-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (DWI-FLAIR) mismatch was well recognized as an early sign of acute ischemic stroke lesions. In the era of mechanical thrombectomy (MT), DWI-FLAIR mismatch could be a good marker for candidates of MT. We thus investigated the association between DWI-FLAIR mismatch and functional outcomes in patients who received MT for acute large vessel occlusion (LVO). Methods: We conducted historical cohort study in consecutive patients who were evaluated by MRI for suspected stroke at single stroke center. We enrolled patients with occlusion of the ICA or M1 or M2 segment of MCA who were underwent MT within 24 hours after the last known to be well. FLAIR negative was defined when a visible acute ischemic lesion was present on DWI without traceable parenchymal hyperintensity on FLAIR. We estimated the adjusted OR of FLAIR negative for moderate outcome defined as mRS 0-3 at 90 days after onset. We also estimated the adjusted OR for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 72 hours and mortality at 90 days. Results: Among 380 patients who received MT for acute LVO, 202 patients were included in this study. Patients with FLAIR negative was 146 (72%), and the rest were FLAIR positive. Patients with FLAIR negative had significantly higher baseline NIHSS (median 16 vs 13, p=0.01), more transferred-in (78% vs 63%, p=0.02), more intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) (45% vs 18%, P=0.0003), more cardioembolism (69% vs 54%, p=0.03), and shorter times from the onset to hospital door (median 175 vs 371 minutes, p<0.0001). Patients with FLAIR negative had more moderate outcome than the counterparts (61% vs 52%, p=0.24). The adjusted OR of FLAIR negative compared to positive was 2.97 (95%CI, 1.33-6.60, p=0.008). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 72 hours was less frequent in the FLAIR negative group (10% vs 20%, p=0.06), with an adjusted OR of 0.34 (95%CI, 0.13-0.87, p=0.02). Conclusions: DWI-FLAIR mismatch was associated with better functional outcome in patients received MT for acute LVO at 90 days. DWI-FLAIR mismatch should be a good marker for the candidate of MT for acute LVO. Future randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of MRI-based MT using DWI-FLAIR mismatch should be considered.

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Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke Due to Carotid Occlusion: A Series of 153 Consecutive Patients

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000492866 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (3-4) ◽

pp. 130-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jose Díaz-Pérez ◽

Guillermo Parrilla ◽

Mariano Espinosa de Rueda ◽

Jose María Cabrera-Maqueda ◽

Blanca García-Villalba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carotid Artery ◽

Internal Carotid Artery ◽

Functional Outcome ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Internal Carotid ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Perfusion Ct ◽

Clinical Prognosis ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Baseline Characteristics

Background: Strokes due to carotid artery occlusion (CAO) are associated with bad clinical prognosis and poor response to intravenous thrombolysis. Several studies in the past have shown the benefits of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and compared bridging therapy (BT) and primary MT (PMT) in large vessel occlusions, but only a few studies have focused on the specific population of CAO and their response to endovascular treatment. Methods: Retrospective review of patients treated at our center between January 2010 and June 2017 that (1) presented with acute ischemic stroke caused by CAO in the first 4.5 h since symptom onset, and (2) were treated with MT (BT or PMT). Baseline characteristics of the population, comparison between BT and PMT, intrahospital mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and functional outcome were investigated. Results: A total of 153 patients were included. Baseline characteristics: 51.6% were male, and the median age was 71 years. The most frequent risk factor was hypertension (71.9%). The main stroke etiology was atherothrombotic (40.5%). The mean admission National Institute of Health Severity Score (NIHSS) was 19, mean discharge NIHSS was 7. Isolated occlusion of the Extracranial or Intracranial Internal Carotid Artery was the most frequent occlusion location (52.3%). TICI 2b-3 was achieved in 87.6%, intrahospital mortality was 26.8%, symptomatic hemorrhage was 8.5%, and 3 months-modified Rankin Score (mRS) 0–2 was 26.8%. Definitive carotid stenting was needed in 33.3% of the cases. BT versus PMT: Patients treated with PMT presented a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation, anticoagulation, and cardioembolic stroke compared to those treated with BT. No differences in TICI 2b-3, 3 months-mRS or symptomatic hemorrhage were found between both groups. Intrahospital mortality: Poor perfusion-CT mismatch (p = 0.005), isolated Internal carotid artery location (p = 0.024), and symptomatic hemorrhage (p < 0.001) were independent predictors. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage: Patients with post-treatment symptomatic hemorrhage had higher intrahospital mortality (p < 0.001) and worse 3 months-mRS (p = 0.033). Functional outcome: Admission NIHSS (p = 0.012) independently predicted 3 months-mRS. Conclusions: In our population, patients with CAO clinically present with severe strokes. Isolated occlusions of the extra- or intracranial segments of the carotid are more frequent than tandem occlusions. Successful recanalization after thrombectomy is achieved in most of the patients, but association with favorable functional outcome is poor. Clinical evolution is similar in patients treated with PMT and BT. Intracranial symptomatic hemorrhage after treatment is associated with higher intrahospital mortality and worse 3 months-mRS. Poor perfusion-CT mismatch, symptomatic hemorrhage, and isolated CAO are independent predictors of intrahospital mortality. Admission NIHSS is an independent predictor of 3 months-mRS.

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Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients with admission hyperglycemia and diabetes after mechanical thrombectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.ajem.2021.02.032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 23-28

Author(s):

Lin Zang ◽

Dan Zhang ◽

Yanyan Yao ◽

Yujie Wang

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

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Mechanical thrombectomy of acute ischemic stroke with a new intermediate aspiration catheter: preliminary results

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2017-013679 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 975-977 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Fabrizio Sallustio ◽

Enrico Pampana ◽

Alessandro Davoli ◽

Stefano Merolla ◽

Giacomo Koch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Frequent Site ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Procedural Outcomes

Background and purposeTo report clinical and procedural outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients after endovascular treatment with the new thromboaspiration catheter AXS Catalyst 6.MethodsPatients with anterior and posterior circulation stroke were selected. Successful reperfusion defined as a Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score ≥2 b and 3-month functional independence defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2 were the main efficacy outcomes. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and mortality were the main safety outcomes.Results107 patients were suitable for analysis. Mean age was 73.18±12.62 year and median baseline NIHSS was 17 (range: 3–32). The most frequent site of occlusion was the middle cerebral artery (MCA) (60.7%). 76.6% of patients were treated with AXS Catalyst 6 alone without the need for rescue devices or thromboaspiration catheters. Successful reperfusion was achieved in 84.1%, functional independence in 47.6%, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 3.7%, and mortality in 21.4%.ConclusionsEndovascular treatment with AXS Catalyst 6 proved to be safe, technically feasible, and effective. Comparison analyses with other devices for mechanical thrombectomy are needed.

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