Reversible Ischemic Lesion Hypodensity in Acute Stroke CT Following Endovascular Reperfusion

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012484
Author(s):  
Gabriel Broocks ◽  
Rosalie McDonough ◽  
Lukas Meyer ◽  
Matthias Bechstein ◽  
Helge Kniep Dipl.Ing ◽  
...  

Background and ObjectivesIn acute stroke, early ischemic lesion hypodensity in computed tomography (CT) is considered the imaging hallmark of brain infarction, representing a state of irreversible tissue damage with a continual increase of net water uptake. This dogma is however challenged by rare cases of apparently reversed early lesion hypodensity following complete reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of reversible ischemic edema after endovascular treatment.Methods184 acute ischemic anterior circulation stroke patients were included after consecutive screening. Ischemic brain edema was determined using quantitative lesion net water uptake (NWU) in admission-CT and follow-up CT based on CT-densitometry and ΔNWU was calculated as the difference. The association of edema progression to imaging and clinical parameters was investigated. Clinical outcome was assessed using modified Ranking Scale (mRS) scores at day 90.Results27/184 patients (14.7%) showed edema arrest and 3 patients (1.6%) exhibited significant edema reversibility. Higher degree of recanalization (odds ratio (OR): 2.96, 95%CI: 1.46-6.01, p<0.01) and shorter time from imaging to recanalization (OR/hour: 0.32, 95%CI: 0.18-0.54, p<0.0001) were significantly associated with edema arrest or reversibility. Clinical outcome was significantly better in patients without edema progression (median mRS 2 versus mRS 5, p=0.004).DiscussionAlbeit rare, lesion hypodensity considered to be representative of early infarct in acute stroke CT may be reversible following complete recanalization. Arrest of edema progression of acute brain infarct lesions may occur after successful rapid vessel recanalization, resulting in improved functional outcome. Future research is needed to investigate conditions where early revascularization may halt or even reverse vasogenic edema of ischemic tissue.

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Broocks ◽  
Fabian Flottmann ◽  
Uta Hanning ◽  
Gerhard Schön ◽  
Peter Sporns ◽  
...  

Studies evaluating the effect of reperfusion on ischemic edema in acute stroke described conflicting results. Net water uptake (NWU) per brain volume is a new quantitative imaging biomarker of space-occupying ischemic edema, which can be measured in computed tomography (CT). We sought to investigate the effects of vessel recanalization on the formation of ischemic brain edema using quantitative NWU. In this multicenter observational study, acute ischemic stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation were consecutively screened. Patients with vessel recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 2 b or 3) versus persistent vessel occlusion (no thrombectomy, TICI 0-1) were compared. Lesion-NWU was quantified in multimodal admission CT and follow-up CT (FCT), and ΔNWU was calculated as difference. Of 194 included patients, 150 had successful endovascular recanalization and 44 persistent LVO. In FCT after treatment, the mean (standard deviation) ΔNWU was 15.8% (5.7) in patients with persistent LVO and 9.8% (5.8) with vessel recanalization ( p < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, vessel recanalization was independently associated with a lowered ΔNWU by 6.3% compared to LVO (95% confidence interval: 3.7–9.0, p < 0.001). Successful vessel recanalization was associated with a significantly reduced formation of ischemic brain edema. Quantitative NWU may be used to compare the treatment effects in acute stroke.


Author(s):  
Juha-Pekka Pienimäki ◽  
Jyrki Ollikainen ◽  
Niko Sillanpää ◽  
Sara Protto

Abstract Purpose Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the first-line treatment in acute stroke patients presenting with large vessel occlusion (LVO). The efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to MT is being contested. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of MT without IVT in patients with no contraindications to IVT presenting directly to a tertiary stroke center with acute anterior circulation LVO. Materials and Methods We collected the data of 106 acute stroke patients who underwent MT in a single high-volume stroke center. Patients with anterior circulation LVO eligible for IVT and directly admitted to our institution who subsequently underwent MT were included. We recorded baseline clinical, laboratory, procedural, and imaging variables and technical, imaging, and clinical outcomes. The effect of intravenous thrombolysis on 3-month clinical outcome (mRS) was analyzed with univariate tests and binary and ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results Fifty-eight out of the 106 patients received IVT + MT. These patients had 2.6-fold higher odds of poorer clinical outcome in mRS shift analysis (p = 0.01) compared to MT-only patients who had excellent 3-month clinical outcome (mRS 0–1) three times more often (p = 0.009). There were no significant differences between the groups in process times, mTICI, or number of hemorrhagic complications. A trend of less distal embolization and higher number of device passes was observed among the MT-only patients. Conclusions MT without prior IVT was associated with an improved overall three-month clinical outcome in acute anterior circulation LVO patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Broocks ◽  
Andre Kemmling ◽  
Jens Aberle ◽  
Helge Kniep ◽  
Matthias Bechstein ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 440
Author(s):  
Da-Eun Jeong ◽  
Jun Lee

Occasionally, acute ischemic stroke can be difficult to differentiate from acute intracranial infection. We describe a patient who presented with sudden onset of right hemiparesis and fever. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was consistent with an acute stroke, showing multiple lesions with restricted diffusion in the left middle cerebral artery territory. These lesions were not enhancing and were not associated with vasogenic edema. A diagnosis of acute stroke was made based on the clinical and radiographic data. Follow-up MRI obtained eleven days later showed interval development of ring enhancement and vasogenic edema surrounding the previously noted core of restricted diffusion. Based on these findings, the diagnosis was revised to cerebral abscesses and the patient was treated successfully with antibiotics. In retrospect, the largest diffusion-weighted lesion on baseline MRI demonstrated two characteristics that were atypical for stroke: it had an ovoid shape and a subtle T2 hypointense core. This case demonstrates that acute clinical and radiographic presentation of cerebral abscess and ischemic stroke can be strikingly similar. Follow-up imaging can be instrumental in arriving at an accurate diagnosis.


2019 ◽  
pp. 174749301988452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawed Nawabi ◽  
Fabian Flottmann ◽  
Andre Kemmling ◽  
Helge Kniep ◽  
Hannes Leischner ◽  
...  

Background Ischemic water uptake in acute stroke is a reliable indicator of lesion age. Nevertheless, inter-individually varying edema progression has been observed and elevated water uptake has recently been described as predictor of malignant infarction. Aims We hypothesized that early-elevated lesion water uptake indicates accelerated “tissue clock” desynchronized with “time clock” and therefore predicts poor clinical outcome despite successful recanalization. Methods Acute middle cerebral artery stroke patients with multimodal admission-CT who received successful thrombectomy (TICI 2b/3) were analyzed. Net water uptake (NWU), a quantitative imaging biomarker of ischemic edema, was determined in admission-CT and tested as predictor of clinical outcome using modified Rankin Scale (mRS) after 90 days. A binary outcome was defined for mRS 0–4 and mRS 5–6. Results Seventy-two patients were included. The mean NWU (SD) in patients with mRS 0–4 was lower compared to patients with mRS 5–6 (5.0% vs. 12.1%; p < 0.001) with similar time from symptom onset to imaging (2.6 h vs. 2.4 h; p = 0.7). Based on receiver operating curve analysis, NWU above 10% identified patients with very poor outcome with high discriminative power (AUC 0.85), followed by Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) (AUC: 0.72) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (AUC: 0.72). Conclusions Quantitative NWU may serve as an indicator of “tissue clock” and pronounced early brain edema with elevated NWU might suggest a desynchronized “tissue clock” with real “time clock” and therefore predict futile recanalization with poor clinical outcome.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Broocks ◽  
Sarah Elsayed ◽  
Helge Kniep ◽  
Andre Kemmling ◽  
Fabian Flottmann ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Malignant cerebellar edema (MCE) is a life-threatening complication of ischemic posterior circulation stroke that requires timely diagnosis and management. Yet, there is no established imaging biomarker that may serve as predictor of MCE. Early edematous water uptake can be determined using quantitative lesion water uptake, but this biomarker has only been applied in anterior circulation strokes. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that lesion water uptake in early posterior circulation stroke predicts MCE. METHODS A total 179 patients with posterior circulation stroke and multimodal admission CT were included. A total of 35 (19.5%) patients developed MCE defined by using an established 10-point scale in follow-up CT, of which ≥4 points are considered malignant. Posterior circulation net water uptake (pcNWU) was quantified in admission CT based on CT densitometry and compared with posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) as predictor of MCE using receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Acute pcNWU within the early ischemic lesion was 24.6% (±8.4) for malignant and 7.2% (±7.4) for nonmalignant infarctions, respectively (P &lt; .0001). Based on ROC analysis, pcNWU above 14.9% identified MCE with high discriminative power (area under the curve: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.97). Early pcNWU (odds ratio [OR]: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.15-1.42, P &lt; .0001) and pc-ASPECTS (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.95, P = .02) were associated with MCE, adjusted for age and recanalization status. CONCLUSION Quantitative pcNWU in early posterior circulation stroke is an important marker for MCE. Besides pc-ASPECTS, lesion water uptake measurements may further support identifying patients at risk for MCE at an early stage indicating stricter monitoring and consideration for further therapeutic measures.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
George Harston ◽  
James Kennedy

Introduction: The Acute Stroke Imaging Roadmap III identifies structural distortion due to vasogenic edema and hemorrhage as a research priority for defining final infarction. Non-linear registration (NLR) of a follow up scan to an undistorted presenting scan could correct for distortions due to edema, hemorrhage or atrophy, achieving this goal. In addition, the difference between the volume of infarction following NLR and the volume following a rigid body registration (RBR) reflects the degree of anatomical distortion. In this study we evaluate this technique to correct for subacute edema at different timepoints, and generate a metric to quantify brain swelling at these times. We determine whether early edema at 24 hours predicts edema at 1 week. Methods: Patients with non-lacunar ischemic stroke were recruited into a MRI study. Patients had structural T1-weighted, T2-weighted FLAIR and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI, b=1000/0) at presentation, 24hrs, 1wk and 1mo. Infarction was defined manually at 24hrs using DWI, and at 1wk and 1mo using FLAIR image by 2 raters. To quantify edema, both NLR warps and RBR matrices were generated between the T1 images at each timepoint to the presenting T1 scan. Infarct masks were transformed to presenting image space using RBR and NLR, and the relative difference in volumes used to quantify the Edema Metric (EM). Results: 34 patients were recruited into the study. NLR corrected for distortions due to edema and hemorrhagic transformation at the 24hr and 1wk timepoints. The EM at 24 hours, 1 week and 1 month were 17.7% (p=0.009), 26.5% (p=0.02), and 7.1% (p=0.05) respectively for the manually defined infarct masks. EM at 24 hours predicted edema at 1 week (r 2 =37%, p=0.009), but not at 1 month (r 2 =3%, p=0.6). Conclusions: NLR provides an opportunity to correct for edema at subacute timepoints and by comparing infarct volumes to those following RBR provides a measure of edema. The EM quantifies the contribution of edema at 24hrs and 1wk, and potentially allows the selection of patients at 24hrs who are likely to develop significant swelling at 1 week. The EM may also be useful in stroke trials to quantify the effect sizes of treatments aimed at minimizing edema in stroke.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Broocks ◽  
Andre Kemmling ◽  
Svenja Teßarek ◽  
Rosalie McDonough ◽  
Lukas Meyer ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose: Patients presenting in the extended time window may benefit from mechanical thrombectomy. However, selection for mechanical thrombectomy in this patient group has only been performed using specialized image processing platforms, which are not widely available. We hypothesized that quantitative lesion water uptake calculated in acute stroke computed tomography (CT) may serve as imaging biomarker to estimate ischemic lesion progression and predict clinical outcome in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in the extended time window. Methods: All patients with ischemic anterior circulation stroke presenting within 4.5 to 24 hours after symptom onset who received initial multimodal CT between August 2014 and March 2020 and underwent mechanical thrombectomy were analyzed. Quantitative lesion net water uptake was calculated from the admission CT. Prediction of clinical outcome was assessed using univariable receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and logistic regression analyses. Results: One hundred two patients met the inclusion criteria. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, net water uptake (odds ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.64–0.95], P =0.01), age (odds ratio, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.88–0.99]; P =0.02), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (odds ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.79–0.99], P =0.03) were significantly and independently associated with favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤1), adjusted for degree of recanalization and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score. A multivariable predictive model including the above parameters yielded the highest diagnostic ability in the classification of functional outcome, with an area under the curve of 0.88 (sensitivity 92.3%, specificity 82.9%). Conclusions: The implementation of quantitative lesion water uptake as imaging biomarker in the diagnosis of patients with ischemic stroke presenting in the extended time window might improve clinical prognosis. Future studies could test this biomarker as complementary or even alternative tool to CT perfusion.


Author(s):  
Hagosa D Abraha ◽  
Richard J Butterworth ◽  
Philip M W Bath ◽  
Wassif S Wassif ◽  
John Garthwaite ◽  
...  

The clinical significance of serum S-100 protein, a protein released by damaged brain tissue, was assessed in patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke and matched controls. Serum S-100 protein concentration was significantly elevated in patients with ischaemic stroke [median (SQR): 0·27 (0·09)μg/L, n = 68] and haemorrhagic stroke [0·43 (0·23)μg/L, n=13] compared to controls [0·11 (0·03)μg/L, n = 51, P<0·0001]. Although patients with haemorrhagic stroke had higher serum S-100 concentrations compared to patients with ischaemic stroke, this was not quite statistically significant. Serum S-100 concentrations were related to infarct size, large (total anterior circulation) infarcts concentrations having the highest [0·40 (0·22) μg/L], and small vessel (‘lacunar’) infarcts concentrations having the lowest [0·20 (0·06)μg/L, P<0·0005] concentrations. S-100 protein concentration was also significantly related to clinical outcome at three months measured using three disability and handicap scales ( n = 81): modified Barthel index ( rs=–0·285, P = 0·01), modified Rankin score ( rs = 0·313, P = 0·004) and Lindley score ( rs = 0·262, P = 0·018) with high values associated with poor clinical outcome. Similarly high values of serum S-100 protein were observed in patients who died or were discharged to an institution [median (SQR): 0·63 (0·29)μg/L and 0·37 (0·13)μg/L, respectively] compared to those who were discharged home [0·26 (0·11)μg/L, P = 0·13]. The present study suggests measurement of serum S-100 protein could be a useful prognostic marker of clinical outcome in acute stroke. Whether S-100 concentrations can be altered by therapeutic intervention in acute stroke remains to be elucidated. Indexing terms: acute stroke/serum S-100/Barthel index/Rankin scale.


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