Clinical Outcome After Endovascular Treatment in Patients With Active Cancer and Ischemic Stroke: A MR CLEAN Registry Substudy

Objective:To explore clinical and safety outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and active cancer after endovascular treatment (EVT).Methods:Using data from the MR CLEAN Registry, we compared patients with active cancer (defined as cancer diagnosed within 12 months prior to stroke, metastatic disease, or current cancer treatment) to patients without cancer. Outcomes were 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, mortality, successful reperfusion (eTICI scores≥2b), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and recurrent stroke. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with a pre-stroke mRS score of 0 or 1 and according to treatment setting (curative or palliative). Analyses were adjusted for prognostic variables.Results:Of 2583 patients who underwent EVT, 124 (4.8%) had active cancer. They more often had pre-stroke disability (mRS≥2: 34.1% vs. 16.6%). The treatment setting was palliative in 25.3% of the patients. There was a shift towards worse functional outcome at 90 days in patients with active cancer (adjusted common OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.2). At 90 days, patients with active cancer were less often independent (mRS 0-2: 22.6% vs. 42.0%, aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8), and more often dead (52.2% vs. 26.5%, aOR 3.2, 95% CI 2.1-4.9). Successful reperfusion (67.8% vs. 60.5%, aOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.1) and sICH rates (6.5% vs. 5.9%, aOR 1.1, 95 %CI 0.5-2.3) did not differ. Recurrent stroke within 90 days was more common in patients with active cancer (4.0% vs. 1.3%, aOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2-8.1). The sensitivity analysis of patients with a pre-stroke mRS of 0 or 1 showed that patients with active cancer still had a worse outcome at 90 days (acOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.0). Patients with active cancer in a palliative treatment setting regained functional independence less often compared to patients in a curative setting (18.2% vs. 32.1%) and mortality was also higher (81.8% vs. 39.3%).Conclusions:Despite similar technical success, patients with active cancer had significantly worse outcomes after EVT for AIS. Moreover, they had an increased risk of recurrent stroke. Nevertheless, about a quarter of the patients regained functional independence and the risk of other complications, most notably sICH, was not increased.Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class I evidence that patients with active cancer undergoing EVT for AIS have worse functional outcomes at 90 days compared to those without active cancer.

P.063 Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Pre-morbid Disability: A Meta-analysis

Background: Practice-changing trials of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute stroke excluded patients with pre-morbid disability. Observational studies may inform the role of EVT in this population. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the effect of EVT in patients with pre-morbid disability. Methods: We adhered to PRISMA guidelines and searched Medline and Embase for studies describing EVT in adults with and without pre-morbid disability with stroke. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes, including favorable outcomes (mRS=0-2 or return to baseline), no increase in disability at 90 days, symptomatic ICH (sICH) and 90-day mortality. Results: We included 8 studies with 5570 patients (mRS 3-5=863, mRS 0-2=4,707). Patients with pre-morbid disability were more likely to return to their baseline mRS (aOR 2.53, 95% CI=1.47-4.36), although they had higher 90-day mortality (aOR=2.21, 95% CI=1.66-2.93). aOR for favorable outcome (aOR=0.83, 95% CI=0.67-1.03) or sICH (aOR=1.07, 95% CI=0.74-1.54) was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: Observational studies suggest that EVT is safe in patients with pre-stroke disability and may result in comparable return to pre-stroke status as in patients without such disability. These findings argue against the routine exclusion of patients with pre-morbid disability from EVT and merit validation with randomized controlled trials.

Endovascular Treatment for Acute Stroke Patients With a Pre-stroke Disability: An International Survey

Background: It is unclear what factors clinicians consider when deciding about endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke patients with a pre-existing disability. We aimed to explore international practice patterns and preferences for EVT in patients with a pre-stroke disability, defined as a modified Rankin score (mRS) ≥ 2.Methods: Electronic survey link was sent to principal investigators of five major EVT trials and members of a professional interventional neurology society.Results: Of the 81 survey-responding clinicians, 57% were neuro-interventionalists and 33% were non-interventional stroke clinicians. Overall, 64.2% would never or almost never consider EVT for a patient with pre-stroke mRS of 4-5, and 49.3% would always or almost always offer EVT for a patient with pre-stroke mRS 2-3. Perceived benefit of EVT (89%) and severity of baseline disability (83.5%) were identified as the most important clinician-level and patient-level factors that influence EVT decisions in these patients.Conclusion: In this survey of 80 respondents, we found that EVT practice for patients with pre-stroke disability across the world is heterogenous and depends upon patient characteristics. Individual clinician opinions substantially alter EVT decisions in pre-stroke disabled patients.

Effectiveness of Thrombectomy in Stroke According to Baseline Prognostic Factors: Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Analysis of a Population-Based Registry

Background and Purpose In real-world practice, the benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is uncertain in stroke patients with very favorable or poor prognostic profiles at baseline. We studied the effectiveness of MT versus medical treatment stratifying by different baseline prognostic factors. Methods Retrospective analysis of 2,588 patients with an ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion nested in the population-based registry of stroke code activations in Catalonia from January 2017 to June 2019. The effect of MT on good functional outcome (modified Rankin Score ≤2) and survival at 3 months was studied using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis in three pre-defined baseline prognostic groups: poor (if pre-stroke disability, age >85 years, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] >25, time from onset >6 hours, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score <6, proximal vertebrobasilar occlusion, supratherapeutic international normalized ratio >3), good (if NIHSS <6 or distal occlusion, in the absence of poor prognostic factors), or reference (not meeting other groups’ criteria). Results Patients receiving MT (n=1,996, 77%) were younger, had less pre-stroke disability, and received systemic thrombolysis less frequently. These differences were balanced after the IPTW stratified by prognosis. MT was associated with good functional outcome in the reference (odds ratio [OR], 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 4.4), and especially in the poor baseline prognostic stratum (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.6 to 5.9), but not in the good prognostic stratum. MT was associated with survival only in the poor prognostic stratum (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.0 to 3.3).Conclusions Despite their worse overall outcomes, the impact of thrombectomy over medical management was more substantial in patients with poorer baseline prognostic factors than patients with good prognostic factors.

Both Ends of Values in the Hemoglobin Spectrum Are Associated with Adverse Stroke Outcomes

<b><i>Background and Purpose:</i></b> Existing studies on the association between hemoglobin values and stroke outcomes mostly focus on the lower side and mortality, often the only and primary endpoint. The current study was conducted to assess the association between hemoglobin concentration and a variety of poor stroke outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We studied 8,321 patients enrolled in the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR) between 2007 and 2008. Patients were divided into 7 groups, and a logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association. Endpoints of interest included 1-year all-cause mortality, stroke recurrence, combined endpoint, and stroke disability. Stroke disability was defined as a modified Rankin Scale of 2–6. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patients with low and high hemoglobin values (≤11.6 g/dL and &#x3e;16.1 g/dL) had higher proportion of poststroke adverse events than those in other groups. As compared with the fourth group of hemoglobin values of 13.5–14.2 g/dL, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of low hemoglobin values (≤11.6 g/dL) were 2.25 (1.72–2.93) for all-cause mortality, 1.30 (1.04–1.61) for stroke recurrence, 1.63 (1.33–2.01) for combined endpoint, and 1.37 (1.12–1.67) for stroke disability, respectively. And, the ORs of high hemoglobin values (&#x3e;16.1 g/dL) for adverse stroke outcomes were 1.72 (1.25–2.37), 1.43 (1.13–1.82), 1.43 (1.13–1.81), and 1.31 (1.06–1.63), respectively. Stratified analysis showed significant interactions between sex and categories of hemoglobin values for all-cause mortality (<i>p</i> = 0.05), stroke recurrence (<i>p</i> = 0.03), and combined endpoint (<i>p</i> = 0.01) but not for stroke disability (<i>p</i> = 0.24). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our study found both low and high hemoglobin values were associated with adverse stroke outcomes including all-cause mortality, stroke recurrence, combined endpoint, and stroke disability, which showed a U-shaped association. And, significant interactions between sex and hemoglobin concentration on all-cause mortality and stroke recurrence were also identified.

Safety and Outcomes of Thrombectomy in Ischemic Stroke With vs Without Intravenous Thrombolysis

Objective:To test the hypothesis that intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) treatment prior to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is associated with better outcomes in patients with anterior circulation large artery occlusion (LAO) stroke, we examined a large real-world database, the SITS-International Stroke Thrombectomy Register (SITS-ISTR).Methods:We identified centers recording ≥10 consecutive patients in the SITS-ISTR, with at least 70% available modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 3 months during 2014-19. We defined LAO as intracranial internal carotid artery, first and second segment of middle cerebral artery and first segment of anterior cerebral artery. Main outcomes were functional independence (mRS 0-2) and death at 3 months and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) per modified SITS-MOST. We performed propensity score matched (PSM) and multivariable logistic regression analyses.Results:Of 6350 patients from 42 centers, 3944 (62.1%) received IVT. IVT+EVT treated patients had less frequent atrial fibrillation, ongoing anticoagulation, previous stroke, heart failure and pre-stroke disability. PSM analysis showed that IVT+EVT patients had a higher rate of functional independence than EVT alone patients (46.4% vs. 40.3%, p<0.001) and a lower rate of death at 3 months (20.3% vs. 23.3%, p=0.035). SICH rates (3.5% vs. 3.0%, p= 0.42) were similar in both groups. Multivariate adjustment yielded results consistent with PSM.Interpretation:Pretreatment with IVT was associated with favorable outcomes in EVT-treated LAO stroke in the SITS Thrombectomy Registry. These findings, while indicative of international routine clinical practice, are limited by observational design, unmeasured confounding and possible residual confounding by indication.Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class II evidence that IVT prior to EVT increases the probability of functional independence at 3 months compared to EVT alone.

Societal Cost of Ischemic Stroke in Romania: Results from a Retrospective County-Level Study

Background: Health policies in transitioning health systems are rarely informed by the economic burden of disease due to scanty access to data. This study aimed to estimate direct and indirect costs for first-ever acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during the first year for patients residing in Cluj, Romania, and hospitalized in 2019 at the County Emergency Hospital (CEH). Methods: The study was conducted using a mixed, retrospective costing methodology from a societal perspective to measure the cost of first-ever AIS in the first year after onset. Patient pathways for AIS were reconstructed to aid in mapping inpatient and outpatient cost items. We used anonymized administrative and clinical data at the hospital level and publicly available databases. Results: The average cost per patient in the first year after stroke onset was RON 25,297.83 (EUR 5226.82), out of which 80.87% were direct costs. The total cost in Cluj, Romania in 2019 was RON 17,455,502.7 (EUR 3,606,505.8). Conclusions: Our costing exercise uncovered shortcomings of stroke management in Romania, particularly related to acute care and neurorehabilitation service provision. Romania spends significantly less on healthcare than other countries (5.5% of GDP vs. 9.8% European Union average), exposing stroke survivors to a disproportionately high risk for preventable and treatable post-stroke disability.

Abstract P373: Persistent Hyperintensity on Diffusion Weighted Imaging One Month After Stroke is Associated With Larger Ischemic Lesions and Greater Loss of Function

Background: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) becomes hyperintense within minutes of ischemic insult to cerebral tissue. While apparent diffusion coefficient maps evolve rapidly during the days after ischemia, DWI typically remains bright for weeks to months after a stroke. This phenomenon is often referred to as “T2-shine through.” We sought to investigate factors that influence persistent hyperintensity on DWI. Methods: The study population included ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to two regional stroke centers and imaged with MRI <=4.5 hours from stroke onset and then again 30 days later. DWI images were independently reviewed for each time point. 30-day DWI images were compared to initial images and were rated accordingly: 1. absent hyperintensity, 2. mixed hyperintensity, 3. bright hyperintensity. Hyperintensity rating was treated as an continuous variable and compared with demographics, risk factors, laboratory values, imaging measurements, and outcome measures using univariate linear regression. Results: Thirty-one patients were included in the study; median age was 63 and 58% were women. Hyperintensity on DWI was absent at 30 days in 9 patients (29%), mixed in 11 patients (35%) and bright in 11 patients (35%). Greater DWI hyperintensity 30 days post stroke was associated with larger volume of the perfusion deficit on presentation (p=0.037) but not with core stroke volume (p=0.621) or mismatch ratio (p=0.719). DWI hyperintensity was not associated with demographic or clinical variables. Greater DWI hyperintensity rate was associated with worse post-stroke disability when comparing premorbid modified Rankin score (mRS) with the follow up mRS (p=0.026) as depicted in the figure that showing a box plot of change in mRS vs. degree of “T2-shine through”. Conclusions: Persistent hyperintensity on DWI a month after stroke may be an indicator of greater disability. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and understand their implications for further recovery.

Impact of eloquent motor cortex-tissue reperfusion beyond the traditional thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) scoring after thrombectomy

BackgroundTargeted eloquence-based tissue reperfusion within the primary motor cortex may have a differential effect on disability as compared with traditional volume-based (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction, TICI) reperfusion after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsWe explored the impact of eloquent reperfusion (ER) within primary motor cortex (PMC) on clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale, mRS) in AIS patients undergoing EVT. ER-PMC was defined as presence of flow on final digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within four main cortical branches, supplying the PMC (middle cerebral artery (MCA) – precentral, central, postcentral; anterior cerebral artery (ACA) – medial frontal branch arising from callosomarginal or pericallosal arteries) and graded as absent (0), partial (1), and complete (2). Prospectively collected data from two centers were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was conducted to assess the impact of ER-PMC on 90-day disability (mRS) among patients with anterior circulation occlusion who achieved partial reperfusion (TICI 2a and 2b).ResultsAmong the 125 patients who met the study criteria, ER-PMC distribution was: absent (0) in 19/125 (15.2%); partial (1) in 52/125 (41.6%), and complete (2) in 54/125 (43.2%). TICI 2b was achieved in 102/125 (81.6%) and ER-PMC was substantially higher in those patients (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, in addition to age and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, ER-PMC had a profound independent impact on 90-day disability (OR 6.10, P=0.001 for ER-PMC 1 vs 0 and OR 9.87, P<0.001 for ER-PMC 2 vs 0), while the extent of total partial reperfusion (TICI 2b vs 2a) was not related to 90-day mRS.ConclusionsEloquent PMC-tissue reperfusion is a key determinant of functional outcome, with a greater impact than volume-based (TICI) degree of partial reperfusion alone. PMC-targeted revascularization among patients with partial reperfusion may further diminish post-stroke disability after EVT.