Background:
CTA spot sign is a predictor of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) expansion. This sign can fluctuate in appearance, volume, and timing. Multiphase CTA (mCTA) can identify spot sign through 3 time-resolved images. We sought to identify a novel predictor of follow up total hematoma expansion using mCTA.
Methods:
This cohort study included patients with ICH between 2012-2019. Quantomo software was used to measure total hematoma volume (ml) from baseline CT & follow-up CT/MRI blinded to spot sign in 3 mCTA phases. Spot sign expansion was calculated by subtracting 1
st
phase spot sign volume from 2
nd
phase spot sign volume measured in microliters.
Results:
199 patients [63% male, mean age 69 years, median NIHSS 11, IQR 6-20] were included. Median baseline ICH volume was 16.1 ml (IQR 5-29.9 ml). Amongst all three mCTA phases, spot sign was best detected on the 2nd phase (23% vs 17.5% 1
st
phase vs 22% 3
rd
phase). In multivariable regression, spot sign expansion was significantly associated with follow up total hematoma expansion (OR: 1.03 per microliter of spot sign expansion, p=0.01). Figure 1 shows the predicted total hematoma expansion by spot sign expansion. mCTA spot sign had a higher sensitivity for predicting total hematoma volume expansion than single-phase CTA (reported in meta-analysis of 14 studies), 86% vs 53%, respectively, while both having similar specificity, 87% vs 88%, respectively.
Conclusion:
Spot sign expansion on mCTA is a novel predictor of total hematoma expansion and could be used to select patients for immediate therapeutic intervention in future clinical trials. Using mCTA improves sensitivity while preserving specificity over single-phase CTA.
Outcome Prediction Using Perfusion Parameters and Collateral Scores of Multi-Phase and Single-Phase CT Angiography in Acute Stroke: Need for One, Two, Three, or Thirty Scans?
