Abstract P619: A Non-Linear Relationship Between Time From Onset to Endovascular Therapy and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion in Clinical Practice

Objective: Faster time from onset to puncture (OPT) using endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute large-vessel occlusion of anterior circulation has been associated with better clinical outcomes. However, the relationship in acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is still not well delineated. Methods: We analyzed acute BAO patients receiving EVT from a nationwide registry of BASILAR (Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion study). The primary outcome was favorable functional outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale score 0-3) at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included function independence (defined as modified Rankin Scale score 0-2), mortality and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. The associations between OPT and outcomes were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression (OPT as a categorical variable) and restricted cubic spline regression (OPT as a continuous variable). Results: Among 639 eligible patients, the median age was 65 years, and median OPT was 328 mins (interquartile range, 220-490). Treatment within 4 hours were associated with higher rates of functional independence (adjusted OR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.37-0.97] and 0.46 [95% CI, 0.22-0.97], respectively) and favorable outcome (adjusted OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.40-0.99] and 0.46 [95% CI, 0.24-0.96], respectively) compared with treatment within 4-8 hours and 8-12 hours. In the restricted cubic spline models, nonlinear relationships were consistently observed between OPT with favorable outcome, functional independence and mortality, with significant benefit loss throughout the first 10 hours but then a relative flat afterwards. However, the odds of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage did not significantly change with longer delay to EVT. Conclusion: Among patients with acute BAO in routine practice, earlier treatment with EVT was associated with better outcomes throughout the first 10 hours after onset, but benefit sustained unchanged afterwards. Future trials or pooled analysis of larger size BAO patients are needed to confirm these results.

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Association Between Time to Endovascular Therapy and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000012858 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012858

Author(s):

Hong fei Sang ◽

Jun jie Yuan ◽

Zhongming Qiu ◽

Min Zhang ◽

Xiao gang Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Cubic Spline ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Spline Regression ◽

Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective:To characterize the association of onset to puncture time (OPT) with clinical outcomes among patients with acute basilar artery occlusion receiving endovascular therapy (EVT) in clinical practice.Methods:Using the EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (BASILAR) study, we identified consecutive patients with acute basilar artery occlusion receiving EVT in 47 comprehensive stroke centers in China from January 2014 to May 2019. The primary outcome was favorable functional outcome (defined as modiﬁed Rankin Scale score [mRS] 0–3) at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included function independence (mRS 0–2), mortality, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. The associations of OPT with clinical outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression (OPT as a categorical variable) and restricted cubic spline regression (OPT as a continuous variable).Results:Among 639 eligible patients, the median age was 65 years, and median OPT was 328 min (interquartile range, 220–490). Treatment within 4–8 hours and 8–12 hours were associated with lower rates of favorable outcome (adjusted OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.40–0.98] and 0.47 [95% CI, 0.23–0.93], respectively) compared with treatment within 4 hours. Restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed that the OPT had L-shaped associations with favorable outcome (Pnon-linearity=0.028) and functional independence (Pnon-linearity=0.025), with significant benefit loss throughout the first 9 hours but then appeared relatively flat. The odds of mortality increased relatively for OPT up to 9 hours, but then levelled off (Pnon-linearity=0.042). The association between symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and OPT was not significant.Conclusion:Among patients with acute basilar artery occlusion in routine practice, earlier treatment with EVT was associated with better outcomes throughout the first 9 hours after onset, but benefit may sustain unchanged afterwards.Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class II evidence that for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to basilar artery occlusion, earlier endovascular treatment is associated with better outcomes.

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Extent of Hypoattenuation on CT Angiography Source Images in Basilar Artery Occlusion

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.111.622175 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (12) ◽

pp. 3454-3459 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Volker Puetz ◽

Andrei Khomenko ◽

Michael D. Hill ◽

Imanuel Dzialowski ◽

Patrik Michel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Outcome ◽

Ct Angiography ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Posterior Circulation ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Scale Scores

Background and Purpose— The posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) quantifies the extent of early ischemic changes in the posterior circulation with a 10-point grading system. We hypothesized that pc-ASPECTS applied to CT angiography source images predicts functional outcome of patients in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS). Methods— BASICS was a prospective, observational registry of consecutive patients with acute symptomatic basilar artery occlusion. Functional outcome was assessed at 1 month. We applied pc-ASPECTS to CT angiography source images of patients with CT angiography for confirmation of basilar artery occlusion. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of pc-ASPECTS dichotomized at ≥8 versus <8. Primary outcome measure was favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores 0–3). Secondary outcome measures were mortality and functional independence (modified Rankin Scale scores 0–2). Results— Of 158 patients included, 78 patients had a CT angiography source images pc-ASPECTS ≥8. Patients with a pc-ASPECTS ≥8 more often had a favorable outcome than patients with a pc-ASPECTS <8 (crude RR, 1.7; 95% CI, 0.98–3.0). After adjustment for age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and thrombolysis, pc-ASPECTS ≥8 was not related to favorable outcome (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.8–2.2), but it was related to reduced mortality (RR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5–0.98) and functional independence (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.8). In post hoc analysis, pc-ASPECTS dichotomized at ≥6 versus <6 predicted a favorable outcome (adjusted RR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2–7.5). Conclusions— pc-ASPECTS on CT angiography source images independently predicted death and functional independence at 1 month in the CT angiography subgroup of patients in the BASICS registry.

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A Simplified NIH Stroke Scale for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Treated with Endovascular Therapy

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21836/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xu Tong ◽

Jiayi An ◽

Raynald Liu ◽

Xuan Sun ◽

Feng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Basilar Artery ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Interobserver Reliability ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Predictive Tool ◽

Assessment Time ◽

Stroke Center

Abstract Background To design a simplified NIH Stroke Scale (sNIHSS) that requires minimal training but can reflect acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) severity and is predictive for the 90-day outcome after endovascular therapy (EVT). Methods We analyzed the prospectively gathered data of acute BAO treated with EVT in a tertiary stroke center during a 6-year period. The sNIHSS (range: 0 to 20 points) consisted of 4 NIHSS items: level of consciousness - (1) questions and (2) commands; motor function - (3) arms and (4) legs. The 90-day outcomes included functional independence (mRS ≤ 2), favorable outcome (mRS ≤ 3) and death. Results Of 173 patients, 62, 83 and 36 achieved functional independence, favorable outcome and death, respectively. Interobserver reliability of sNIHSS was high (ICC = 0.95), and compared with NIHSS, sNIHSS had a significant reduction of assessment time (median: 1.5 min vs. 5 min, P < 0.01). A multivariable logistic model demonstrated that sNIHSS was independently associated with functional independence (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.77-0.87), favorable outcome (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.81-0.92) and death (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.12-1.37). Additionally, the sNIHSS predicted 90-day outcomes almost as same discrimination as NIHSS by using DeLong test. The optimal cutoff value of sNIHSS was determined to be 12 points for predicting any outcome. Conclusions The sNIHSS reflects acute BAO severity well and predicts 90-day outcomes with reasonable accuracy. Nevertheless, the sNIHSS needs further validation before it can be applied as a predictive tool for acute BAO outcome.

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Effect of anesthesia strategy during endovascular therapy on 90-day outcomes in acute basilar artery occlusion: a retrospective observational study

BMC Neurology ◽

10.1186/s12883-020-01979-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Haibin Du ◽

Xu Tong ◽

Xuan Sun ◽

Zhiyong Shi ◽

Bin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Anesthesia ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion

Abstract Background and objective The research on the effect of anesthesia on endovascular therapy (EVT) of acute ischemic stroke is mainly focused on the anterior circulation, and little is known about the data of basilar artery occlusion (BAO). This study aims to investigate the association of anesthesia strategy with 90-day clinical outcomes of patients with acute BAO treated with EVT. Methods We reviewed our prospectively collected data from the endovascular treatment database at the Beijing Tiantan Hospital. This included patients with acute BAO who had a documented 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score from January 2012 to July 2018. Options for EVT included general anesthesia (GA) and conscious sedation (CS) performed by an anesthesia care team in the institution. The recommendation of anesthesia for patients was a joint decision between anesthesiologist and neurointerventionalist according to a pre-designed scheme. Patients who required tracheal intubation for airway protection prior to EVT were excluded. The clinical outcomes we observed were functional independence (mRS ≤2), favorable outcome (mRS ≤3), and mortality at 90 days after the procedure. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between anesthesia methods and 90-day outcomes. Results A total of 187 patients with BAO were treated by EVT in this study. Nine cases requiring emergent intubation prior to EVT were excluded. 139 patients (78.1%) underwent GA and 39 patients (21.9%) underwent CS. In univariate analysis, GA was associated with less functional independence [odds ratio (OR), 0.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13–0.59] and less favorable outcome (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10–0.52) than was CS. After adjusting for potential confounders, multivariable analysis showed that there were still significant differences between GA and CS in functional independence (OR, 0.31; 95%CI, 0.10–0.97) and favorable outcome (OR, 0.24; 95%CI, 0.07–0.75). Conclusion Our retrospective analysis suggested that the anesthesia strategy may affect outcome, in which general anesthesia may result in less favorable outcomes. Nevertheless, future multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm our findings.

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Endovascular treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion: descriptive analysis of the experience in a comprehensive stroke centre

10.22514/sv.2021.038 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

General Anaesthesia ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

Objectives: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in Aragón, and to compare its anaesthetic management, technical effectivity, security, and prognosis with those of anterior circulation. Methods: 322 patients from the prospective registry of mechanical thrombectomies from Aragon were assessed: 29 with BAO and 293 with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. Baseline characteristics, procedural, clinical and safety outcomes variables were compared. Results: Out of 29 patients with BAO that underwent endovascular therapy (62.1% men; average age 69.8 ± 14.05 years) 18 (62.1%) received endovascular therapy (EVT) alone and 11 (37.9%) EVT plus intravenous thrombolysis. Atherothrombotic stroke was the most common etiology (41%). The BAO group had longer Door-to-groin (160 vs 141 min; P = 0.043) and Onset-to-reperfusion times (340 vs 297 min; P = 0.005), and higher use of general anaesthesia (60.7% vs 14.7%; P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found for Procedure time (60 vs 50 min; P = 0.231) nor the rate of successful recanalization (72.4% vs 82.7%; P = 0.171). Functional independence at 90 days was significantly worse in the BAO group (17.9% vs 38.2%; P < 0.01). Conclusions: Patients with basilar artery occlusion had higher morbimortality despite similar angiographic results. Mechanical thrombectomy for BAOs is a safe and effective procedure in selected patients. A consensus about the effect of anaesthesia has yet to be reached, for BAO general anaesthesia remains the most frequently used technique.

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Flow Diversion Radial Artery Bypass Graft Coupled With Terminal Basilar Artery Occlusion for the Treatment of Complex Basilar Apex Aneurysms: Operative Nuances

Operative Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/neu.0b013e31827bf2d8 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. ons116-ons126 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jeffrey C. Mai ◽

Farzana Tariq ◽

Louis J. Kim ◽

Laligam N. Sekhar

Keyword(s):

Scale Score ◽

Cerebral Artery ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Collateral Circulation ◽

Posterior Cerebral Artery ◽

Artery Bypass ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

High Flow ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Modified Rankin Scale

Abstract BACKGROUND: A subset of basilar apex aneurysms are unsuitable for either primary microsurgical clipping or endovascular coiling. These complex aneurysms can be treated by terminal basilar artery occlusion, but only if collateral circulation is adequate. To circumvent these complications, a high-flow vertebral artery-posterior cerebral artery or middle cerebral artery-posterior cerebral artery bypass may be performed to create an adequate collateral circulation to allow treatment of the aneurysm by basilar artery occlusion and/or clipping. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the operative nuances of this approach in the case of a 47-year-old man with progressive hemiparesis resulting from brainstem compression from a giant, unruptured basilar apex aneurysm with absent posterior communicating artery collaterals and incorporation of bilateral superior cerebellar arteries and posterior cerebral arteries within the aneurysm neck. METHODS: The patient underwent a staged bypass from V3 to P2 coupled with terminal basilar artery occlusion. RESULTS: The patient initially presented as modified Rankin Scale score 2 with right hemiparesis. The aneurysm ruptured after the first stage of the operation, and the patient underwent a V3 to P2 bypass the next day. His postprocedural neurologic decline improved at the 14-month follow-up to modified Rankin Scale score 2, with substantial reduction in aneurysm size observed at 9 months. The outcomes for 3 other bypass cases for basilar apex aneurysms are also summarized. CONCLUSION: We discuss the indications, preoperative diagnostic workup, operative management, and postoperative outcomes in managing challenging basilar apex aneurysms. In our experience, high-flow bypass procedures with or without hunterian ligation in the treatment of these aneurysms are well tolerated with good long-term results.

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Vertebral Artery Patency and Thrombectomy in Basilar Artery Occlusions

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.118.022466 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 389-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Tobias Boeckh-Behrens ◽

David Pree ◽

Nina Lummel ◽

Benjamin Friedrich ◽

Christian Maegerlein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vertebral Artery ◽

Scale Score ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Low Flow ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Flow Conditions ◽

Vertebral Arteries

Background and Purpose— Factors influencing recanalization success in basilar artery occlusions are largely unknown. Preliminary evidence has suggested that flow arrest in the vertebral artery contralateral to the catheter bearing vertebral artery may facilitate recanalization. The aim of this analysis was to assess the impact of anatomic variations and flow conditions on recanalization success in basilar artery occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Methods— Consecutive basilar artery occlusions treated with second-generation thrombectomy devices at a single-center were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline patients’ characteristics, occlusion length, collateral circulation, underlying stenosis, incomplete occlusions, and patency of the vertebral arteries were analyzed with regards to recanalization success. Aplastic or hypoplastic vertebral artery contralateral to the catheter position was defined as contralateral low flow condition. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between anatomic variations and flow conditions in relation to complete recanalization and the modified Rankin Scale score while controlling for several potentially confounding variables. Clinical impact was evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3. Results— One hundred fifteen patients were included (mean age 71.5±12.8, m:f=2:1, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale =15, interquartile range =10–22). Complete recanalization was more often observed in patients with contralateral low flow conditions (80.6% versus 50.0%), which remained an independent predictor of complete recanalization in multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 5.81; 95% CI, 1.97–17.19). Patients with complete posterior recanalization had lower in-hospital mortality (16.4% versus 41.7%) and more often achieved modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3 (49.4% versus 8.3%), even after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio, 15.93; 95% CI, 1.42–179.00). Conclusions— Contralateral low flow condition (vertebral artery aplasia or hypoplasia) seems to be an independent factor for fewer distal emboli and complete recanalization in basilar artery occlusion patients treated by modern endovascular devices. Complete recanalization reflecting the absence of peri-interventional clot fragmentation brings clear clinical benefit. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the need for contralateral flow modulation or ipsilateral balloon guide catheter during posterior circulation thrombectomy in patients with bilaterally patent vertebral arteries.

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Stent Retriever-Assisted Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: Single US Institution Experience

Operative Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/neu.0000000000001163 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 250-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ashish Sonig ◽

Chandan Krishna ◽

Sabareesh K Natarajan ◽

Jian Liu ◽

L Nelson Hopkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Standard Deviation ◽

Scale Score ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Posterior Circulation ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Stent Retrievers

Abstract BACKGROUND Acute basilar artery occlusion causes devastating strokes that carry high mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVE To report the outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy in the posterior circulation with a focus on safety and efficacy of stent retrievers. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed our endovascular database for all patients treated with stent retrievers for posterior circulation stroke between June 2012 and June 2014. Twelve patients were identified. The following data were analyzed: thrombus location, previous stroke or transient ischemic attack, thrombus etiology, comorbidities, time from presentation to initiation of endovascular treatment, time from start of angiography to revascularization, and whether intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was administered pre-thrombectomy. Outcome was considered poor when modified Rankin Scale score was >2. RESULTS Mean patient age was 63.42 years (median, 64.5; range, 28-83 years); 7 were women. Successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction grade 2b or 3) was achieved in 11 of 12 patients (91.7%). Mean discharge modified Rankin Scale score was 2.3 (median, 2.0; standard deviation 1.96; range, 0-6), with a favorable discharge outcome in 9 of 12 (75%) patients. Two patients died as inpatients. Mean follow-up modified Rankin Scale score was 1.4 (median, 1.00; standard deviation 1.075; range, 0-4). Good outcome was achieved in 9 of 10 (90%) patients at last follow-up (mean follow-up duration, 132.42 days [median, 90.50; standard deviation 80.2; range, 8-378 days]). CONCLUSION Our single-institution study has shown that good clinical outcomes and successful recanalization with acceptable mortality can be achieved with current stent retrievers.

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MULTIMODAL REPERFUSION THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE BASILAR ARTERY OCCLUSION

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/01.neu.0000350862.35963.49 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 548-553 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Guy Raphaeli ◽

Roni Eichel ◽

Tamir Ben-Hur ◽

Ronen R. Leker ◽

Jose E. Cohen

Keyword(s):

Prognostic Factors ◽

Scale Score ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Reperfusion Therapy ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Collateral Flow ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Good Outcome ◽

Poor Outcome

Abstract OBJECTIVE Multimodal reperfusion therapy (MMRT) has been advocated for the treatment of acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO). We aimed to identify prognostic factors in patients with ABAO who underwent MMRT. METHODS Clinical and radiological data from consecutive ABAO patients were analyzed. All patients underwent MMRT on an emergency basis. Stroke subtypes were categorized according to TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) criteria. Good outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or less and poor outcome as a score of 4 or more at 30 days poststroke. RESULTS Twenty-four patients were included (18 men, 6 women) with a mean age of 54.7 years (age range, 26–70 years). Six patients died (25%), and 8 of the surviving 18 patients (44%) achieved a modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or less at 30 days. We could not identify any clinical or radiological variables that were associated with a greater likelihood of good or poor outcome at 30 days other than the presence of good collateral circulation, which was associated with better outcome on univariate analysis. CONCLUSION MMRT resulted in high survival and good outcome rates. We could not identify prognostic factors in patients with ABAO treated with MMRT other than the presence of collateral flow. Our results imply that patients should not be excluded from treatment based on clinical or radiological parameters, and that all patients with ABAO should be given the chance to benefit from therapy.

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Mechanical thrombectomy in acute basilar artery occlusion: A safety and efficacy single centre study

Interventional Neuroradiology ◽

10.1177/1591019916631145 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 310-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mariano Werner ◽

Antonio Lopez-Rueda ◽

Federico Zarco ◽

Luis San Román ◽

Jordi Blasco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Tracheal Intubation ◽

Clinical Outcome ◽

Scale Score ◽

Basilar Artery ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Basilar Artery Occlusion ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Level Of Consciousness

Objectives The objective of this study was to add more evidence about the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with basilar artery occlusion and secondarily to identify prognostic factors. Methods Twenty-two consecutive patients (mean age 60.5 years, 15 men) with basilar artery occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy were included. Clinical, procedure and radiological data were collected. Primary outcomes were the modified Rankin scale score with a good outcome defined by a modified Rankin scale score of 0–2 and mortality rate at three months. Results The median National Institutes of Health stroke scale at admission was 24 (interquartile range 11.5–31.25). Twelve patients (54.5%) required tracheal intubation due to a decreased level of consciousness. Successful recanalisation (modified treatment in cerebral ischaemia scale 2b–3) was achieved in 20 patients (90.9%). A favourable clinical outcome (modified Rankin scale score 0–2) was observed in nine patients (40.9%) and the overall mortality rate was 40.9% (nine patients). Haemorrhagic events were observed in three patients (13.63%). A decreased level of consciousness requiring intubation in the acute setting was more frequent in patients with poor outcomes (84.6%) than in patients with favourable outcomes (11.1%), and in patients who died (100%) compared with those who survived (23.1%), with a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion Mechanical thrombectomy is feasible and effective in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion. A decreased level of consciousness requiring tracheal intubation seems to be a prognostic factor and is associated with a poor clinical outcome and higher mortality rate. These initial results must be confirmed by further prospective studies with a larger number of patients.

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