POSTERIOR CIRCULATION ISCHAEMIC STROKE IMAGING – CORRELATES AND PERSPECTIVES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ng

Posterior circulation ischaemic stroke (PCIS) is a disease of high mortality and morbidity. However, current research predominantly focuses on the anterior circulation, specifically the internal carotid artery. Recommendations of change are required for the improvement of clinical outcomes. This article discusses the neuroimaging techniques used for diagnosis and three new research perspectives in neuroradiology concerning PCIS, which are namely (1) clinically significant anatomical variants, (2) artery-artery embolisation and, (3) collateralisation. The anatomical variants discussed include: (a) vertebral artery hypoplasia/agenesis, (b) Artery of Percheron, and (c) vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia. Such research perspectives are expected to increase clinical awareness and diagnostic accuracy, ensuring prompt treatment, improved patient care and ameliorated treatment outcomes. This article also suggests that, in the field of collateralisation in PCIS, prognostication can be improved by the construction of risk stratification models and synthesis of new therapeutic strategies.

2021 ◽  
pp. 159101992110030
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdel-Tawab ◽  
Ahmed K Abdeltawab ◽  
Mohamed Abdelmonem ◽  
Mahmoud A Moubark ◽  
Mohamed AH Taha ◽  
...  

Purpose We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of flow-diverter stents (FDs) in the management of posterior circulation cerebral aneurysms and compare FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms. Methods We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies through March 2020. Studies assessing FDs for posterior circulation aneurysms that included ≥20 treated aneurysms were included. Moreover, the studies compared FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms were included. Data regarding angiographic aneurysmal occlusion, procedural complications, mortality, and morbidity were extracted and pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model. Results Fourteen studies with a total of 659 patients and 676 posterior circulation aneurysms were included. The pooled rate of aneurysmal occlusion at long-term angiographic follow-up was 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 71–85]. The pooled rates of intraparenchymal hemorrhage, ischemia, and procedure-related mortality and neurological morbidity were 2%, 8%, 7%, and 6%, respectively. Complete occlusion occurred in 82.4% of the posterior circulation aneurysm subgroup and 77.5% of the anterior circulation aneurysm subgroup. The difference was not significant (relative risk 1.01; 95% CI, 0.86–1.19; p = 0.91). Regression analysis showed that elderly patients and females had higher morbidity. Conclusion Posterior circulation aneurysms can be effectively treated with FDs with comparable occlusion rates to those in anterior circulation aneurysms. However, periprocedural complications are not negligible.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1113-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud H Mohammaden ◽  
Stephen W English ◽  
Christopher J Stapleton ◽  
Eman Khedr ◽  
Ahmed Shoyb ◽  
...  

BackgroundFlow diversion (FD) is a common treatment modality for complex intracranial aneurysms. A major concern regarding the use of FD is thromboembolic events (TEE). There is debate surrounding the optimal antiplatelet regimen to prevent TEE. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ticagrelor as a single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) for the prevention of TEE following FD for complex aneurysm treatment.MethodsA retrospective review of a prospectively maintained neuroendovascular database at three endovascular centers was performed. Patients were included if they had an intracranial aneurysm that was treated with FD between January 2018 and September 2019 and were treated with ticagrelor as SAPT. Primary outcomes included early (within 72 hours post-procedure) and late (within 6 months) ischemic events.ResultsA total of 24 patients (mean age 47.7 years) with 36 aneurysms were eligible for analysis, including 15 (62.5%) females. 14 (58.3%) patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. 35 aneurysms arose from the anterior circulation and 1 from the posterior circulation. 23 aneurysms had a saccular morphology, whereas 7 were fusiform and 6 were blister. For the treatment of all 36 aneurysms, 30 procedures were performed with 32 FD devices. Procedural in-stent thrombosis occurred in 2 cases and was treated with intra-arterial tirofiban without complications. Aneurysm re-bleeding was reported in 1 (4.2%) patient. There were no reported early or late TEE. Three patients discontinued ticagrelor due to systemic side effects.ConclusionTicagrelor is a safe and effective SAPT for the prevention of TEE after FD. Large multicenter prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings.


Author(s):  
Nourhan Abdelmohsen Taha ◽  
Hala El Khawas ◽  
Mohamed Amir Tork ◽  
Tamer M. Roushdy

Abstract Background Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with alteplase is the first-line therapy for acute ischemic anterior and posterior circulation strokes (ACS and PCS). Knowledge about safety and efficacy of IVT in posterior circulation stroke is deficient as most of the Egyptian studies either assessed IVT outcome in comparison to conservative therapy or its outcome in anterior circulation stroke only. Therefore, our aim was to compare the relative frequency and outcome after intravenous thrombolysis in anterior versus posterior circulation stroke patients presenting to stroke centers of Ain Shams University hospitals (ASUH). Results A total of 238 anterior circulation stroke and 61 posterior circulation strokes were enrolled, onset-to-door and door-to-needle time were statistically insignificant. NIHSS showed comparable difference at all time points despite higher scores along anterior circulation stroke; 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) showed significant improvement in both groups from mRS >2 to ≤2 with a better percentage along posterior circulation stroke patients. There was insignificant difference for either incidence of death or intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) between the two groups. Conclusion IVT significantly reduced NIHSS for both anterior and posterior circulation stroke along different studied time points. Meanwhile, a higher percentage of patients with posterior circulation stroke had a better mRS outcome at 90 days.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Daga ◽  
M T Ahmad ◽  
M Taneja

Abstract The current literature regarding the morphology and presentations of strokes due to basilar artery stenosis/occlusion is limited. This pathology is a rare cause of stroke and its management is not clearly decided in guidelines or published literature. Moreover, posterior circulation strokes are reported to be more devastating than anterior circulation. We present a case of a 68-year-old male who presented in an acute setting with reduced consciousness, myoclonic jerks, weakness and nausea due to a stroke from an occluded mid-segment basilar artery. MRI showed evidence of left cerebellar and right occipital infarcts. Emergent cerebral angiography was performed, and he was immediately treated by thrombectomy and stenting (Stryker Wingspan stent). The patient made a full recovery within one week and remained well at follow-up 3 months post-procedure. Emergency recanalization of basilar artery strokes, by clot retrieval and stenting, should be considered as a treatment option.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2098239
Author(s):  
Adam E Goldman-Yassen ◽  
Matus Straka ◽  
Michael Uhouse ◽  
Seena Dehkharghani

The generalization of perfusion-based, anterior circulation large vessel occlusion selection criteria to posterior circulation stroke is not straightforward due to physiologic delay, which we posit produces physiologic prolongation of the posterior circulation perfusion time-to-maximum (Tmax). To assess normative Tmax distributions, patients undergoing CTA/CTP for suspected ischemic stroke between 1/2018-3/2019 were retrospectively identified. Subjects with any cerebrovascular stenoses, or with follow-up MRI or final clinical diagnosis of stroke were excluded. Posterior circulation anatomic variations were identified. CTP were processed in RAPID and segmented in a custom pipeline permitting manually-enforced arterial input function (AIF) and perfusion estimations constrained to pre-specified vascular territories. Seventy-one subjects (mean 64 ± 19 years) met inclusion. Median Tmax was significantly greater in the cerebellar hemispheres (right: 3.0 s, left: 2.9 s) and PCA territories (right: 2.9 s; left: 3.3 s) than in the anterior circulation (right: 2.4 s; left: 2.3 s, p < 0.001). Fetal PCA disposition eliminated ipsilateral PCA Tmax delays (p = 0.012). Median territorial Tmax was significantly lower with basilar versus any anterior circulation AIF for all vascular territories (p < 0.001). Significant baseline delays in posterior circulation Tmax are observed even without steno-occlusive disease and vary with anatomic variation and AIF selection. The potential for overestimation of at-risk volumes in the posterior circulation merits caution in future trials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Handelsmann ◽  
L. Herzog ◽  
Z. Kulcsar ◽  
A. R. Luft ◽  
S. Wegener

AbstractDistinct patient characteristics have been proposed for ischaemic stroke in the anterior versus posterior circulation. However, data on functional outcome according to stroke territory in patients with acute stroke treatment are conflicting and information on outcome predictors is scarce. In this retrospective study, we analysed functional outcome in 517 patients with stroke and thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy treated at the University Hospital Zurich. We compared clinical factors and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses investigating the effect of outcome predictors according to stroke territory. Of the 517 patients included, 80 (15.5%) suffered a posterior circulation stroke (PCS). PCS patients were less often female (32.5% vs. 45.5%, p = 0.031), received thrombectomy less often (28.7% vs. 48.3%, p = 0.001), and had lower median admission NIHSS scores (5 vs. 10, p < 0.001) as well as a better median three months functional outcome (mRS 1 vs. 2, p = 0.010). Predictors for functional outcome were admission NIHSS (OR 0.864, 95% CI 0.790–0.944, p = 0.001) in PCS and age (OR 0.952, 95% CI 0.935–0.970, p < 0.001), known symptom onset (OR 1.869, 95% CI 1.111–3.144, p = 0.018) and admission NIHSS (OR 0.840, 95% CI 0.806–0.876, p < 0.001) in ACS. Acutely treated PCS and ACS patients differed in their baseline and treatment characteristics. We identified specific functional outcome predictors of thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy success for each stroke territory.


Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay K Wakhloo ◽  
Pedro Lylyk ◽  
Joost de Vries ◽  
Matthew J Gounis ◽  
Alexandra Biondi ◽  
...  

Objective: Validated through experimental studies a new generation of flow diverters (Surpass™ FD) was evaluated for treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IA). We present our multicenter preliminary clinical and angiographic experience. METHODS: To achieve the calculated flow disruption between the parent artery and aneurysm for thrombosis, single FDs were placed endovascularly in parent arteries. Implants measured 2.5-5.3mm in diameter with a length of 10-80mm. Patients were enrolled harboring a wide range large and giant wide-neck, fusiform and multiple small and blister-type aneurysm. Clinical and angiographic follow-up were performed at 1-3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 186 consecutive IA in 161 patients (mean age 57.1 years) were treated at 33 centers. Fifty-three aneurysms were smaller than 5 mm, 64 were 5-9.9mm in diameter, 47 were 10-20mm in diameter, and 22 were larger than 20mm (10.4±0.7mm, neck size 6.0±0.5mm [mean±SEM]) . The aneurysms originated in 63.4% from the internal carotid artery; 22% and 14.5% of the lesions were located in the anterior circulation distal to Circle of Willis and posterior circulation respectively. Technical success was achieved in 182 aneurysms (98%); average number of devices used per aneurysm was 1.05. Permanent morbidity and mortality during the follow-up period of mean 8.4months (range 1-24 months) including periprocedural complications for patients with aneurysms of the anterior circulation were encountered in 5 (3.7%) and 2 (1.5 %) patients respectively and 1 (3.7%) and 4 (14.8%) respectively for patients with aneurysms of the posterior circulation location. One-hundred-ten patients (70.5%) harboring 127 (70.2%) were available for clinical and angiographic follow-up and showed a complete or near complete aneurysm occlusion in 63 (81.8%) of the ICA. Aneurysms of the ICA≥10mm that were completely covered by FD and not previously stent-treated with a minimum of 6 months follow-up available in 16 patients showed a complete obliteration in 81.3% (n=13) and >90% occlusion in remaining 3 patients. CONCLUSION: Preliminary data demonstrate high safety and efficacy of a new generation of FD for a wide range of IA of the anterior and posterior circulation with a single implant.


2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1813-1822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Ni ◽  
Hanqiang Jiang ◽  
Bin Xu ◽  
Yu Lei ◽  
Heng Yang ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEMoyamoya disease (MMD) is occasionally accompanied by intracranial aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to delineate the efficacy of the authors’ current surgical strategy in the management of MMD-associated aneurysms of different types.METHODSBetween January 2007 and March 2016, a consecutive cohort of 34 patients with 36 MMD-associated aneurysms was enrolled in this prospective single-center cohort study. The lesions were classified as peripheral (17 aneurysms) or main trunk aneurysms (13 in the anterior circulation and 6 in the posterior circulation). For the peripheral aneurysms, revascularization with or without endovascular treatment was suggested. For the main trunk aneurysms, revascularization alone, revascularization with aneurysm clipping, or revascularization with aneurysm embolization were used, depending on the location of the aneurysms.RESULTSOf the peripheral aneurysms, 4 were treated endovascularly with staged revascularization, and 13 were treated solely with cerebral revascularization. Of the 13 main trunk aneurysms in the anterior circulation, 10 were clipped followed by revascularization, and 3 were coiled followed by staged cerebral revascularization. Of the 6 main trunk aneurysms in the posterior circulation, 4 underwent endovascular coiling and 2 were treated solely with revascularization. One patient died of contralateral intracerebral hemorrhage 6 months after the operation. No other patients suffered recurrent intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral ischemia, or aneurysm rupture. An angiographic follow-up study showed that all the bypass grafts were patent. Complete occlusion was achieved in all 21 aneurysms that were clipped or embolized. Of the remaining 15 aneurysms that were not directly treated, 12 of 13 peripheral aneurysms were obliterated during the follow-up, whereas 1 remained stable; 1 of 2 posterior main trunk aneurysms remained stable, and the other became smaller.CONCLUSIONSThe authors’ current treatment strategy may benefit patients with MMD-associated aneurysms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian M Snelling ◽  
Samir Sur ◽  
Sumedh S Shah ◽  
Justin Caplan ◽  
Priyank Khandelwal ◽  
...  

AbstractBACKGROUNDDespite several studies analyzing the safety of transradial access (TRA) for neurointervention compared to transfemoral approach (TFA), neurointerventionalists are apprehensive about implementing TRA. From our positive institutional experience, we now utilize TRA first line for a majority of our cases. Here, we present our single-institution experience.OBJECTIVETo determine safety and feasibility of TRA for neurointervention.METHODSThrough retrospective review of patients receiving TRA for anterior and posterior circulation cerebrovascular interventions at our institution between December 2015 and January 2018, we present our experience regarding this transition, while focusing on technique, complications, feasibility, indications, and limitations.RESULTSOne hundred five procedures were performed on 92 patients (anterior circulation: 77%; posterior circulation: 23%). Radial artery access was achieved in all patients. Twenty-nine cases constituted mechanical thrombectomy, 33 cases represented intracranial aneurysms treatments, and 33 cases included interventions like angioplasty, balloon test occlusion, chemotherapy delivery, and thrombolysis. TRA was used as second-line access to TFA in 5 instances due to aortic arch anomalies and atherosclerotic disease. Minor access-site complications were seen in 2.85% of patients. Ten procedures (9.0%) could not be completed with TRA, with crossover to TFA occurring in 7 cases.CONCLUSIONTRA is safe and feasible for the majority of neurointerventional procedures and provides decreased risk of major access-site complications compared to TFA. Perceived limitations of TRA can likely be eliminated via operator experience and engineering ingenuity; thus, there is a role for TRA for neurointervention, especially in patients with increased risk of access-site complications from TFA.


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