The traditional time window for acute ischemic stroke intra-arterial therapy (IAT) is <6 hours, which is based on pharmacological thrombolysis without penumbral imaging. This study was conducted to ...determine the safety of patient selection for IAT based on perfusion mismatch rather than time.
A cohort of consecutive patients treated with IAT was identified by database review. Patients were selected for IAT based on the presence of perfusion mismatch using CT perfusion or MRI regardless of stroke duration. Thrombolytics were minimized after 6 hours in favor of mechanical embolectomy or angioplasty+/-stenting. Outcomes (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale) were assessed by independent examiners. A multivariate analysis was performed to compare those treated <6 hours (early) with those treated >6 hours (late).
Fifty-five patients (mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale=19.7+/-5.7) were treated, 34 early and 21 late, with mean time-to-intervention of 3.4+/-1.6 hours and 18.6+/-16.0 hours, respectively. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Ischemia 2 or 3 recanalization was achieved in 82.8% early and 85.7% late patients (P=1.0). Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 25.5% overall, but symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 8.8% of the early and 9.5% of the late patients (P=1.0). Thirty-day mortality was similar (29.4% versus 23.8%, P=0.650). At 3 months, 41.2% and 42.9%, respectively, achieved a modified Rankin Scale <or=2 (P=0.902). Only presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was a predictor of modified Rankin Scale <or=2 (OR 0.79495% CI 0.68 to 0.92, P=0.009) and death (adjusted OR 1.2995% CI 1.04 to 1.59, P=0.019).
In appropriately selected patients, IAT for acute ischemic stroke can be performed safely regardless of stroke duration. The concept of an acute ischemic stroke treatment window for IAT should be re-evaluated with a clinical trial selecting patients with perfusion mismatch.
Intra-arterial therapy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke refers to endovascular catheter-based approaches to achieve recanalization using mechanical clot disruption, locally injected thrombolytic ...agents or both. IAT may be used in addition to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or in patients who do not qualify for tPA, usually because they are outside the approved 3-h timeframe window or have contraindications, such as elevated international normalized ratio or partial thromboplastin time. Recanalization rates correlate with clinical improvement, and with the newest catheters it is possible to achieve recanalization in roughly 80% of patients treated. However, while the catheters are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, there are still no randomized trial data demonstrating the role of current IAT therapy vs either tPA or standard management. IAT is reserved for patients with large artery occlusions in the basilar, distal carotid, or proximal middle cerebral arteries. Imaging the penumbra using magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomographic perfusion is currently the most frequently used way to identify patients who might benefit. However, the imaging and clinical criteria for identifying which patients benefit, and perhaps more importantly those who will do poorly despite IAT, remain unclear.
Symptomatic intracranial stenoses are an important cause of stroke and have a high risk of recurrent stroke with medical therapy. The Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing ...Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Arterial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial unexpectedly showed a higher-than-expected rate of complications with intracranial stenting and a lower-than-expected recurrence rate with medical therapy. In this commentary, the authors review possible explanations for these findings and suggest future strategies for study.
Endovascular techniques are frequently employed to treat large artery occlusion in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We sought to determine the predictors and clinical impact of intracranial hemorrhage ...(ICH) after endovascular therapy.
Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting to 13 high volume stroke centers with AIS due to proximal occlusion in the anterior circulation who underwent endovascular treatment within 8 h from symptom onset. Logistic regression was performed to determine the variables associated with ICH, hemorrhagic infarction (HI), and parenchymal hematomas (PHs), as well as 90 day poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) and mortality.
There were a total of 363 ICHs (overall rate 32.3%; HI=267, 24%; PH=96, 8.5%) among the 1122 study patients (mean age 67±15 years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 17 (IQR 13-20)). Independent predictors for HI included diabetes mellitus (OR 2.27, 95% CI (1.58 to 3.26), p<0.0001), preprocedure IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) (1.43 (1.03 to 2.08), p<0.037), Merci thrombectomy (1.47 (1.02 to 2.12), p<0.032), and longer time to puncture (1.001 (1.00 to 1.002), p<0.026). Patients with atrial fibrillation (1.61 (1.01 to 2.55), p<0.045) had a higher risk of PH while the use of IA tPA (0.57 (0.35 to 0.90), p<0.008) was associated with lower chances of PH. Both the presence of HI (2.23 (1.53 to 3.25), p<0.0001) and PH (6.24 (3.06 to 12.75), p<0.0001) were associated with poor functional outcomes; however, only PH was associated with higher mortality (3.53 (2.19 to 5.68), p<0.0001).
Greater understanding about the predictors and consequences of ICH post endovascular stroke therapy is essential to improve risk assessment, patient selection/clinical outcomes, and early prognostication. Our data suggest that patients with atrial fibrillation are particularly prone to severe ICH and question the 'benign' nature of HI suggested by earlier studies.
The Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy (SWIFT) and thrombectomy revascularization of large vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke (TREVO 2) trial results demonstrated improved ...recanalization rates with mechanical thrombectomy; however, outcomes in the elderly population remain poorly understood. Here, we report the effect of age on clinical and angiographic outcome within the North American Solitaire-FR Stent-Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) Registry.
The NASA Registry recruited sites to submit data on consecutive patients treated with Solitaire-FR. Influence of age on clinical and angiographic outcomes was assessed by dichotomizing the cohort into ≤80 and >80 years of age.
Three hundred fifty-four patients underwent treatment in 24 centers; 276 patients were ≤80 years and 78 were >80 years of age. Mean age in the ≤80 and >80 cohorts was 62.2±13.2 and 85.2±3.8 years, respectively. Of patients >80 years, 27.3% had a 90-day modified Rankin Score ≤2 versus 45.4% ≤80 years (P=0.02). Mortality was 43.9% and 27.3% in the >80 and ≤80 years cohorts, respectively (P=0.01). There was no significant difference in time to revascularization, revascularization success, or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed age >80 years as an independent predictor of poor clinical outcome and mortality. Within the >80 cohort, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), revascularization rate, rescue therapy use, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage were independent predictors of mortality.
Greater than 80 years of age is predictive of poor clinical outcome and increased mortality compared with younger patients in the NASA registry. However, intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator use, lower NIHSS, and shorter revascularization time are associated with better outcomes. Further studies are needed to understand the endovascular therapy role in this cohort compared with medical therapy.
Intracranial angioplasty and stenting are therapeutic options for patients with symptomatic intracranial arterial stenoses intractable to medical therapy. However, the long-term safety and clinical ...efficacy of these techniques are unknown. We sought to assess the long-term outcome and efficacy of these techniques.
Procedural data and 30-day outcomes were collected from patients treated with coronary balloons and stents for >/=70% atherostenoses. Clinical and radiographic follow-up data were obtained at 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter.
Fifty-three patients (median age, 67 years; interquartile range IQR, 58.75 to 75 years) with 69 arterial lesions were treated during a 7-year period. The technical success rate was 98.6% (68/69), with a reduction of the median percent stenosis from 85% (IQR, 70% to 95%) to 0% (IQR, 0% to 26%). In 76.8% (53/69) of the procedures, a stent was implanted. The 30-day death/stroke rate was 10.1% (7/69) with 1 death, and within a median follow-up of 24 months (IQR, 10.25 to 36.5 months), the transient ischemic attack or stroke rate reached 5.8% (4/69). Restenosis rate at 1 year was 15.9% (11/69) and was symptomatic in 18.2% (2/11). The restenosis rate was 50% for angioplasty (8/16) and 7.5% (4/53) for stenting (hazard ratio=5.02; 95% CI, 1.22 to 20.68). Factors associated with restenosis were vessel size <2.5 mm (hazard ratio=4.78; 95% CI, 1.35 to 16.93) and interventions performed in the setting of an acute stroke (hazard ratio=6.36; 95% CI, 1.78 to 22.56).
Intracranial stenting may reduce the rate of recurrent ischemia in patients in whom medical therapy is unsuccessful and is probably more durable than angioplasty alone.
Mechanical thrombectomy with stent-retrievers results in higher recanalization rates compared with previous devices. Despite successful recanalization rates (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction ...(TICI) score ≥2b) of 70-83%, good outcomes by 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤2 are achieved in only 40-55% of patients. We evaluated predictors of poor outcomes (mRS >2) despite successful recanalization (TICI ≥2b) in the North American Solitaire Stent Retriever Acute Stroke (NASA) registry.
Logistic regression was used to evaluate baseline characteristics and recanalization outcomes for association with 90-day mRS score of 0-2 (good outcome) vs 3-6 (poor outcome). Univariate tests were carried out for all factors. A multivariable model was developed based on backwards selection from the factors with at least marginal significance (p≤0.10) on univariate analysis with the retention criterion set at p≤0.05. The model was refit to minimize the number of cases excluded because of missing covariate values; the c-statistic was a measure of predictive power.
Of 354 patients, 256 (72.3%) were recanalized successfully. Based on 234 recanalized patients evaluated for 90-day mRS score, 116 (49.6%) had poor outcomes. Univariate analysis identified an increased risk of poor outcome for age ≥80 years, occlusion site of internal carotid artery (ICA)/basilar artery, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥18, history of diabetes mellitus, TICI 2b, use of rescue therapy, not using a balloon-guided catheter or intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV t-PA), and >30 min to recanalization (p≤0.05). In multivariable analysis, age ≥80 years, occlusion site ICA/basilar, initial NIHSS score ≥18, diabetes, absence of IV t-PA, ≥3 passes, and use of rescue therapy were significant independent predictors of poor 90-day outcome in a model with good predictive power (c-index=0.80).
Age, occlusion site, high NIHSS, diabetes, no IV t-PA, ≥3 passes, and use of rescue therapy are associated with poor 90-day outcome despite successful recanalization.
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