Abstract WP65: Relationships Between Brain Perfusion and Early Recanalization After Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion

In large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke, it is unclear whether severity of ischemia is involved in early post-thrombolysis recanalization over and above thrombus site and length. Here we assessed the relationships between perfusion parameters and early recanalization following intravenous thrombolysis administration in LVO patients. From a multicenter registry, we identified 218 thrombolysed LVO patients referred for thrombectomy with both (i) pre-thrombolysis MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), T2*-imaging, MR-angiography and dynamic susceptibility-contrast perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI); and (ii) evaluation of recanalization on first angiographic run or non-invasive imaging ≤ 3 h from thrombolysis start. Infarct core volume on DWI, PWI-DWI mismatch volume and hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR; defined as Tmax ≥ 10 s volume/ Tmax ≥ 6 s volume, low HIR indicating milder hypoperfusion) were determined using a commercially available software. Early recanalization occurred in 34 (16%) patients, and multivariable analysis was associated with lower HIR ( P = 0.006), shorter thrombus on T2*-imaging ( P < 0.001) and more distal occlusion ( P = 0.006). However, the relationship between HIR and early recanalization was robust only for thrombus length <14 mm. In summary, the present study disclosed an association between lower HIR and early post-thrombolysis recanalization. Early post-thrombolysis recanalization is therefore determined not only by thrombus site and length but also by severity of ischemia.

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Better Collaterals Are Independently Associated With Post-Thrombolysis Recanalization Before Thrombectomy

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.118.022815 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 867-872 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Pierre Seners ◽

Pauline Roca ◽

Laurence Legrand ◽

Guillaume Turc ◽

Jean-Philippe Cottier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Dynamic Susceptibility ◽

Collateral Flow ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Perfusion Weighted Imaging

Background and Purpose— In acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, the goal of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is to achieve early recanalization (ER). Apart from occlusion site and thrombus length, predictors of early post-IVT recanalization are poorly known. Better collaterals might also facilitate ER, for instance, by improving delivery of the thrombolytic agent to both ends of the thrombus. In this proof-of-concept study, we tested the hypothesis that good collaterals independently predict post-IVT recanalization before thrombectomy. Methods— Patients from the registries of 6 French stroke centers with the following criteria were included: (1) acute stroke with large vessel occlusion treated with IVT and referred for thrombectomy between May 2015 and March 2017; (2) pre-IVT brain magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging, T2*, MR angiography, and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging; and (3) ER evaluated ≤3 hours from IVT start on either first angiographic run or noninvasive imaging. A collateral flow map derived from perfusion-weighted imaging source data was automatically generated, replicating a previously validated method. Thrombus length was measured on T2*-based susceptibility vessel sign. Results— Of 224 eligible patients, 37 (16%) experienced ER. ER occurred in 10 of 83 (12%), 17 of 116 (15%), and 10 of 25 (40%) patients with poor/moderate, good, and excellent collaterals, respectively. In multivariable analysis, better collaterals were independently associated with ER ( P =0.029), together with shorter thrombus ( P <0.001) and more distal occlusion site ( P =0.010). Conclusions— In our sample of patients with stroke imaged with perfusion-weighted imaging before IVT and intended for thrombectomy, better collaterals were independently associated with post-IVT recanalization, supporting our hypothesis. These findings strengthen the idea that advanced imaging may play a key role for personalized medicine in identifying patients with large vessel occlusion most likely to benefit from IVT in the thrombectomy era.

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Thrombectomy after intravenous thrombolysis is the new standard of care in acute stroke with large vessel occlusion

Interventional Neuroradiology ◽

10.1177/1591019915609136 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 691-693 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Benjamin Gory ◽

Francis Turjman

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion

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Stroke Intervention: Geographic Disparities in Acute Stroke Care and the Role of Interventional Cardiology

EMJ Interventional Cardiology ◽

10.33590/emjintcardiol/20-00009 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Case Series ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Interventional Cardiology ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Acute Stroke Care ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Geographic Disparities

Stroke is the second-leading cause of death and a major cause of disability worldwide. The majority of strokes are ischaemic, and effective therapy to achieve reperfusion includes intravenous thrombolysis and, for proximal large vessel occlusion strokes, endovascular mechanical thrombectomy (MT). There has been a paradigm shift in acute stroke care, driven by a series of randomised controlled trials demonstrating that timely reperfusion with MT results in superior outcomes compared to intravenous thrombolysis in patients with large vessel occlusion strokes. There are significant geographic disparities in delivering acute stroke care because of the maldistribution of neurointerventional specialists. There are now several case series demonstrating the feasibility and safety of first medical contact MT by carotid stent-capable interventional cardiologists and noninvasive neurologists working on stroke teams, which is a solution to the uneven distribution of neurointerventionalists and allows stroke interventions to be delivered in local communities.

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Angiographic Reconstructions From Whole-Brain Perfusion CT for the Detection of Large Vessel Occlusion in Acute Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.111.630954 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 97-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Andreas M.J. Frölich ◽

Marios N. Psychogios ◽

Ernst Klotz ◽

Ramona Schramm ◽

Michael Knauth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Brain Perfusion ◽

Perfusion Ct ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Whole Brain

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Diagnostic value of transcranial ultrasonography for selecting subjects with large vessel occlusion: a systematic review

The Ultrasound Journal ◽

10.1186/s13089-019-0143-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daria Antipova ◽

Leila Eadie ◽

Ashish Stephen Macaden ◽

Philip Wilson

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Clinical Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Direct Transfer ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion

Abstract Introduction A number of pre-hospital clinical assessment tools have been developed to triage subjects with acute stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) to a specialised endovascular centre, but their false negative rates remain high leading to inappropriate and costly emergency transfers. Transcranial ultrasonography may represent a valuable pre-hospital tool for selecting patients with LVO who could benefit from rapid transfer to a dedicated centre. Methods Diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasonography in acute stroke was subjected to systematic review. Medline, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library were searched. Published articles reporting diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasonography in comparison to a reference imaging method were selected. Studies reporting estimates of diagnostic accuracy were included in the meta-analysis. Results Twenty-seven published articles were selected for the systematic review. Transcranial Doppler findings, such as absent or diminished blood flow signal in a major cerebral artery and asymmetry index ≥ 21% were shown to be suggestive of LVO. It demonstrated sensitivity ranging from 68 to 100% and specificity of 78–99% for detecting acute steno-occlusive lesions. Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.91. Transcranial ultrasonography can also detect haemorrhagic foci, however, its application is largely restricted by lesion location. Conclusions Transcranial ultrasonography might potentially be used for the selection of subjects with acute LVO, to help streamline patient care and allow direct transfer to specialised endovascular centres. It can also assist in detecting haemorrhagic lesions in some cases, however, its applicability here is largely restricted. Additional research should optimize the scanning technique. Further work is required to demonstrate whether this diagnostic approach, possibly combined with clinical assessment, could be used at the pre-hospital stage to justify direct transfer to a regional thrombectomy centre in suitable cases.

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Endovascular therapy in patients with large vessel occlusion due to cardioembolism versus large-artery atherosclerosis

Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders ◽

10.1177/1756286421999017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 175628642199901

Author(s):

Meredeth Zotter ◽

Eike I. Piechowiak ◽

Rupashani Balasubramaniam ◽

Rascha Von Martial ◽

Kotryna Genceviciute ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Independent Predictor ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Stent Retriever ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Artery ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Significant Difference

Background and aims: To investigate whether stroke aetiology affects outcome in patients with acute ischaemic stroke who undergo endovascular therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analysed patients from the Bernese Stroke Centre Registry (January 2010–September 2018), with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation due to cardioembolism or large-artery atherosclerosis, treated with endovascular therapy (±intravenous thrombolysis). Results: The study included 850 patients (median age 77.4 years, 49.3% female, 80.1% with cardioembolism). Compared with those with large-artery atherosclerosis, patients with cardioembolism were older, more often female, and more likely to have a history of hypercholesterolaemia, atrial fibrillation, current smoking (each p < 0.0001) and higher median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores on admission ( p = 0.030). They were more frequently treated with stent retrievers ( p = 0.007), but the median number of stent retriever attempts was lower ( p = 0.016) and fewer had permanent stent placements ( p ⩽ 0.004). Univariable analysis showed that patients with cardioembolism had worse 3-month survival [72.7% versus 84%, odds ratio (OR) = 0.51; p = 0.004] and modified Rankin scale (mRS) score shift ( p = 0.043) and higher rates of post-interventional heart failure (33.5% versus 18.5%, OR = 2.22; p < 0.0001), but better modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score shift ( p = 0.025). Excellent (mRS = 0–1) 3-month outcome, successful reperfusion (mTICI = 2b–3), symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage and Updated Charlson Comorbidity Index were similar between groups. Propensity-matched analysis found no statistically significant difference in outcome between stroke aetiology groups. Stroke aetiology was not an independent predictor of favourable mRS score shift, but lower admission NIHSS score, younger age and independence pre-stroke were (each p < 0.0001). Stroke aetiology was not an independent predictor of heart failure, but older age, admission antithrombotics and dependence pre-stroke were (each ⩽0.027). Stroke aetiology was not an independent predictor of favourable mTICI score shift, but application of stent retriever and no permanent intracranial stent placement were (each ⩽0.044). Conclusion: We suggest prospective studies to further elucidate differences in reperfusion and outcome between patients with cardioembolism and large-artery atherosclerosis.

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Abstract 1122‐000125: Underlying ICAD is Associated with Worse Outcome in Acute Large Vessel Occlusion Undergoing Endovascular Therapy

Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology ◽

10.1161/svin.01.suppl_1.000125 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Sonam Thind ◽

Ali Mansour ◽

Scott Mendelson ◽

Elisheva Coleman ◽

James Brorson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Outcome ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Large Vessel ◽

High Risk Population ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Nihss Score ◽

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease ◽

Poor Outcomes

Introduction : Acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) can be secondary to thromboembolism or underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Data on the management of LVO due to underlying ICAD are scarce. We hypothesized that patients with ICAD would have worse clinical outcomes following mechanical thrombectomy (MT) than those without ICAD. Methods : We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent MT for LVO in a large academic comprehensive stroke center between 01/2018 and 05/2021. Presence of underlying ICAD at the site of LVO was determined by the treating interventionalist. We compared outcomes including in‐hospital mortality and 90‐day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) between those with and without underlying ICAD, adjusting for relevant covariates using logistic regression. Results : Among 195 patients (mean age 67.4+15.1 years, 56.9% female, 81% black, median NIHSS score 15), underlying ICAD was present in 39 (20.0%). Stent‐retrievers were used 196 patients with only 3 having rescue stent placement. There were no significant differences in baseline factors amongst the two groups except diabetes was more common (69.2% vs. 49.7%, p = 0.028) and intravenous thrombolysis provided less often (17.9% vs. 36.5%, p = 0.027) in those with ICAD. TICI 2B or higher was achieved in 82.1% of ICAD compared with 94.3% of non‐ICAD patients (p = 0.012). Mortality was more common (50.0% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.025) and good functional outcome (mRS 0–2) at 90 days was less common (10.8% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.002) in the ICAD group. Adjusting for age, diabetes, intravenous thrombolysis, baseline NIHSS score, and final TICI score, underlying ICAD was an independent predictor of mRS 0–2 at 90 days (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.4‐14.2, p = 0.010). Conclusions : Underlying ICAD is associated with 4.5‐fold increase in poor functional outcome in patients with LVO undergoing traditional MT. Further research is needed to understand factors associated with poor outcomes investigate alternative interventional approaches and medical management in this high‐risk population.

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Abstract 1122‐000022: Delays in Care for Patients with Acute Stroke During Hospitalization for Other Reasons

Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology ◽

10.1161/svin.01.suppl_1.000022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas Vigilante ◽

Parth Patel ◽

Prasanth Romiyo ◽

Lauren Thau ◽

Mark Heslin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Acute Care ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Single Center ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Symptom Recognition ◽

Risk Patients ◽

Recognition Imaging

Introduction : In‐hospital stroke (IHS) is defined as stroke that occurs during hospitalization for non‐stroke conditions. We aimed to understand the timing of symptom recognition for patients who experienced IHS and its impact on the care they receive. Methods : A prospective, single center registry of adult patients (9/20/19‐2/28/21) was queried for acute anterior circulation IHS. Indications for hospitalization, delays from last known well (LKW) to symptom recognition, imaging, and treatment were explored. Results : Of 928 consecutively evaluated adults with acute stroke, 85 (9%) developed an anterior circulation IHS, 39 (46%) of whom were female, with a median age of 67 years (IQR 60–76) and median NIHSS of 15 (IQR 4–22). Sixty‐eight (80%) had a >1 hour delay from last known well to symptom recognition. Two patients (2%) received IV thrombolysis, although another 38 (45%) would have been eligible if not for a delay in symptom recognition. An ICA, M1, or M2 occlusion was observed in 18 patients (21%), 7 of whom were treated at a median of 174 minutes after LKW (IQR 65–219). Compared to the 11 patients who did not undergo thrombectomy with large vessel occlusion, those who underwent thrombectomy had non‐significantly shorter delays from LKW until neuroimaging (median 85 [IQR 65‐162] vs. 216 [IQR 133‐507], p = 0.12). Conclusions : While uncommon, patients with IHS experience delays in symptom recognition and treatment, which lead to exclusion from acute care treatment such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy. Earlier detection with more frequent nursing assessments or advanced neuromonitoring devices in at‐risk patients may reduce delays in care.

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