Symmetric collateral pattern on CTA predicts favorable outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke.

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has revolutionized large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke management, but often requires advanced imaging. The collateral pattern on CT angiograms may be an alternative because a symmetric collateral pattern correlates with a slowly growing, small ischemic core. We tested the hypothesis that such patients will have favorable outcomes after EVT. Consecutive patients (n = 74) with anterior LVOs who underwent EVT were retrospectively analyzed. Inclusion criteria were available CTA and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS). CTA collateral patterns were symmetric in 36%, malignant in 24%, or other in 39%. Median NIHSS was 11 for symmetric, 18 for malignant, and 19 for other (p = 0.02). Ninety-day mRS ≤2, indicating independent living, was achieved in 67% of symmetric, 17% of malignant, and 38% of other patterns (p = 0.003). A symmetric collateral pattern was a significant determinant of 90-day mRS ≤2 (aOR = 6.62, 95%CI = 2.24,19.53; p = 0.001) in a multivariable model that included age, NIHSS, baseline mRS, thrombolysis, LVO location, and successful reperfusion. We conclude that a symmetric collateral pattern predicts favorable outcomes after EVT for LVO stroke. Because the pattern also marks slow ischemic core growth, patients with symmetric collaterals may be suitable for transfer for thrombectomy. A malignant collateral pattern is associated with poor clinical outcomes.

Percent Insular Ribbon Infarction for Predicting Infarct Growth Rate and 90-Day Outcomes in Large-Vessel Occlusive Stroke: Secondary Analysis of Prospective Clinical Trial Data.

BACKGROUND. Insight into the natural history of infarct growth could help identify patients with slowly progressing stroke who may benefit from delayed endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to evaluate associations of percent insular ribbon infarction (PIRI) with infarct growth rate (IGR) and 90-day outcomes in patients with large-vessel occlusive stroke. METHODS. This retrospective study was a secondary analysis of a prior clinical trial that enrolled patients with acute stroke not treated with reperfusion therapies from January 2007 to June 2009. The present analysis evaluated 31 trial patients (median age, 71 years; 12 women, 19 men) with anterior-circulation large-vessel occlusion who underwent serial MRI examinations. Two neuroradiologists independently scored PIRI on presentation MRI examinations on the basis of the ratio of the length of the portion of the insula showing restricted diffusion to the insula's total length using a previously described 0-4 scale; scores were categorized (mild [0-1], moderate [2], or severe [3-4]), and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. The 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was obtained. As part of earlier clinical trial analyses, collateral pattern on CTA was classified as symmetric, malignant, or other, and infarct volumes were measured on DWI during the initial 48 hours after presentation and on FLAIR at 90 days. RESULTS. Interrater agreement for PIRI category was strong (κ = 0.89). PIRI was mild in 10, moderate in four, and severe in 17 patients. For mild, moderate, and severe PIRI, median IGR from onset to presentation was 1.6 cm3/h, 8.5 cm3/h, and 17.5 cm3/h (p < .001); median IGR from presentation to 48 hours was 0.3 cm3/h, 0.2 cm3/h, and 1.2 cm3/h (p = .005); median 90-day infarct volume was 9.4 cm3, 39.8 cm3, and 108.6 cm3 (p = .01); and 90-day mRS of 2 or less occurred in 78%, 67%, and 6% of patients (p = .001). In multivariable models controlling for age, internal carotid artery occlusion, and collateral pattern, PIRI category independently predicted onset-to-presentation IGR (ß = 1.5), presentation-to-48-hour IGR (ß = 1.3), and 90-day mRS of 2 or less (OR = 0.2). For predicting 90-day mRS of 2 or less, mild-to-moderate PIRI had sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 84.2%; symmetric collateral pattern had sensitivity of 70.0% and specificity of 73.7%. CONCLUSION. PIRI was independently associated with IGR and 90-day outcome. CLINICAL IMPACT. PIRI may help identify patients who could benefit from late-window EVT when requiring transfer to EVT-capable centers.

Development and clinical application of a deep learning model to identify acute infarct on magnetic resonance imaging.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. The ability to quickly identify the presence of acute infarct and quantify the volume on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has important treatment implications. We developed a machine learning model that used the apparent diffusion coefficient and diffusion weighted imaging series. It was trained on 6,657 MRI studies from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH; Boston, USA). All studies were labelled positive or negative for infarct (classification annotation) with 377 having the region of interest outlined (segmentation annotation). The different annotation types facilitated training on more studies while not requiring the extensive time to manually segment every study. We initially validated the model on studies sequestered from the training set. We then tested the model on studies from three clinical scenarios: consecutive stroke team activations for 6-months at MGH, consecutive stroke team activations for 6-months at a hospital that did not provide training data (Brigham and Women's Hospital [BWH]; Boston, USA), and an international site (Diagnósticos da América SA [DASA]; Brazil). The model results were compared to radiologist ground truth interpretations. The model performed better when trained on classification and segmentation annotations (area under the receiver operating curve [AUROC] 0.995 [95% CI 0.992-0.998] and median Dice coefficient for segmentation overlap of 0.797 [IQR 0.642-0.861]) compared to segmentation annotations alone (AUROC 0.982 [95% CI 0.972-0.990] and Dice coefficient 0.776 [IQR 0.584-0.857]). The model accurately identified infarcts for MGH stroke team activations (AUROC 0.964 [95% CI 0.943-0.982], 381 studies), BWH stroke team activations (AUROC 0.981 [95% CI 0.966-0.993], 247 studies), and at DASA (AUROC 0.998 [95% CI 0.993-1.000], 171 studies). The model accurately segmented infarcts with Pearson correlation comparing model output and ground truth volumes between 0.968 and 0.986 for the three scenarios. Acute infarct can be accurately detected and segmented on MRI in real-world clinical scenarios using a machine learning model.

Symmetric CTA Collaterals Identify Patients with Slow-progressing Stroke Likely to Benefit from Late Thrombectomy.

Background Understanding ischemic core growth rate (IGR) is key in identifying patients with slow-progressing large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke who may benefit from delayed endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Purpose To evaluate whether symmetric collateral pattern at CT angiography (CTA) can help to identify patients with low IGR and small 24-hour diffusion-weighted MRI ischemic core volume in patients with LVO not treated with reperfusion therapies. Materials and Methods In this secondary analysis of clinical trial data from before EVT became standard of care from January 2007 to June 2009, patients with anterior proximal LVO not treated with reperfusion therapies were evaluated. All patients underwent admission CTA and at least three MRI examinations at four time points over 48 hours. Arterial phase CTA collaterals at presentation were categorized as symmetric, malignant, or other. Diffusion-weighted MRI ischemic core volume and IGR at multiple time points were determined. The IGR at presentation was defined as follows: (ischemic core volume in cubic centimeters)/(time since stroke symptom onset in hours). Multivariable analyses and receiver operator characteristic analyses were used. Results This study evaluated 31 patients (median age, 71 years; interquartile range, 61-81 years; 19 men) with median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 13. Collaterals were symmetric (45%; 14 of 31), malignant (13%; four of 31), or other (42%; 13 of 31). Median ischemic core volume was different between collateral patterns at all time points. Presentation was as follows: symmetric, 16 cm3; other, 69 cm3; and malignant, 104 cm3 (P < .001). At 24 hours, median ischemic core volumes were as follows: symmetric, 28 cm3; other, 156 cm3; and malignant, 176 cm3 (P < .001). Median IGR was also different, and most pronounced at presentation: symmetric, 4 cm3 per hour; other, 17 cm3 per hour; and malignant, 20 cm3 per hour (P < .001). After multivariable adjustment, independent determinants of higher presentation IGR included only higher NIHSS (parameter estimate [ß = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.36; P = .008) and worse collaterals (ß = -2.90; 95% CI: -4.31, -1.50; P < .001). The only independent determinant of 24-hour IGR was worse collaterals (ß = -2.03; 95% CI: -3.28, -0.78; P = .001). Symmetric collaterals had sensitivity of 87% (13 of 15) and specificity of 94% (15 of 16) for 24-hour ischemic core volume less than 50 cm3 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.92; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.00; P < .001). Conclusion In patients with large vessel occlusion not treated with reperfusion therapies, symmetric collateral pattern at CT angiography was common and highly specific for low ischemic core growth rate and small 24-hour ischemic core volume as assessed at diffusion-weighted MRI. After further outcome studies, collateral status at presentation may prove useful in triage for endovascular thrombectomy, especially when MRI and CT perfusion are unavailable. Clinical trial registration no. NCT00414726. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Messina in this issue.

Myo-Inositol Levels Measured with MR Spectroscopy Can Help Predict Failure of Antiangiogenic Treatment in Recurrent Glioblastoma.

Background Patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) are often treated with antiangiogenic agents, such as bevacizumab (BEV). Despite therapeutic promise, conventional MRI methods fail to help determine which patients may not benefit from this treatment. Purpose To use MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) with intermediate and short echo time to measure corrected myo-inositol (mI)normalized by contralateral creatine (hereafter, mI/c-Cr) in participants with recurrent GBM treated with BEV and to investigate whether such measurements can help predict survivorship before BEV initiation (baseline) and at 1 day, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks thereafter. Materials and Methods In this prospective longitudinal study (2016-2020), spectroscopic data on mI-a glial marker and osmoregulator within the brain-normalized by contralateral creatine in the intratumoral, contralateral, and peritumoral volumes of patients with recurrent GBM were evaluated. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated for all volumes at baseline and 1 day, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after treatment to determine the ability of mI/c-Cr to help predict survivorship. Results Twenty-one participants (median age ± standard deviation, 62 years ± 12; 15 men) were evaluated. Lower mI/c-Cr in the tumor before and during BEV treatment was predictive of poor survivorship, with receiver operating characteristic analyses showing an AUC of 0.75 at baseline, 0.87 at 1 day after treatment, and 1 at 8 weeks after. A similar result was observed in contralateral normal-appearing tissue and the peritumoral volume, with shorter-term survivors having lower levels of mI/c-Cr. In the contralateral volume, a lower ratio of mI to creatine (hereafter, mI/Cr) predicted shorter-term survival at baseline and all other time points. Within the peritumoral volume, lower mI/c-Cr levels were predictive of shorter-term survival at baseline (AUC, 0.80), at 1 day after treatment (AUC, 0.93), and at 4 weeks after treatment (AUC, 0.68). Conclusion Lower levels of myo-inositol normalized by contralateral creatine within intratumoral, contralateral, and peritumoral volumes were predictive of poor survivorship and antiangiogenic treatment failure as early as before bevacizumab treatment. Adapting MR spectroscopic imaging alongside conventional MRI modalities conveys critical information regarding the biologic characteristics of tumors to help better treat individuals with recurrent glioblastoma. Clinical trial registration no. NCT02843230 © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors Affect Specific Segments of the Intracranial Vasculature in High-Resolution (HR) Vessel Wall Imaging (VWI).

OBJECTIVES: Luminal-based imaging have identified different risk factors for extracranial and intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS), but these techniques are known to underestimate the true extent of the disease. High-resolution (HR) vessel wall imaging (VWI) has recently gained recognition as a valuable tool in the assessment of ICAS. The aim of this study is to determine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and specific intracranial vessel segment involvement using HR-VWI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2020, consecutive patients ≥ 18 years-old undergoing HR-VWI of the brain were identified. Patients with history of primary or secondary vasculitis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, or moya-moya were excluded. The presence of vessel wall thickening and enhancement were assessed in the perpendicular plane for each vessel segment by two neuroradiologists. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess associations between imaging findings and cardiovascular risk factors. Interrater reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients (39 men; mean age: 55.9 years) were included. Vessel wall enhancement was seen in 39/71 (55%). A total number of 105 vessel segments demonstrated abnormal enhancement and 79/105 (75%) had an eccentric pattern. Eccentric vessel wall enhancement was independently associated with age >65 years-old in the ICA (OR 9.0, CI 2.1 - 38.2, p < 0.01) and proximal MCA (OR 4.0, CI 1.2 - 13.2, p = 0.02), and with hyperlipidemia in the posterior circulation (OR 44.0, CI2.9-661.0, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between eccentric vessel wall enhancement of the ICA and proximal MCA in patients with age > 65; and of the proximal posterior circulation (basilar - PCA1) with hyperlipidemia.

MR spectroscopic imaging predicts early response to anti-angiogenic therapy in recurrent glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Determining failure to anti-angiogenic therapy in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) (rGBM) remains a challenge. The purpose of the study was to assess treatment response to bevacizumab-based therapy in patients with rGBM using MR spectroscopy (MRS). METHODS: We performed longitudinal MRI/MRS in 33 patients with rGBM to investigate whether changes in N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Choline (Cho) and Lactate (Lac)/NAA from baseline to subsequent time points after treatment can predict early failures to bevacizumab-based therapies. RESULTS: After stratifying based on 9-month survival, longer-term survivors had increased NAA/Cho and decreased Lac/NAA levels compared to shorter-term survivors. ROC analyses for intratumoral NAA/Cho correlated with survival at 1 day, 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. Intratumoral Lac/NAA ROC analyses were predictive of survival at all time points tested. At the 8-week time point, 88% of patients with decreased NAA/Cho did not survive 9 months; furthermore, 90% of individuals with an increased Lac/NAA from baseline did not survive at 9 months. No other metabolic ratios tested significantly predicted survival. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in metabolic levels of tumoral NAA/Cho and Lac/NAA can serve as early biomarkers for predicting treatment failure to anti-angiogenic therapy as soon as 1 day after bevacizumab-based therapy. The addition of MRS to conventional MR methods can provide better insight into how anti-angiogenic therapy affects tumor microenvironment and predict patient outcomes.

An East Coast Perspective on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Part 2: Ischemic Stroke Imaging and Triage.

Acute ischemic stroke constitutes approximately 85% of strokes. Most strokes occur in community settings; thus, automatic algorithms techniques are attractive for managing these cases. This article reviews the use of deep learning convolutional neural networks in the management of ischemic stroke. Artificial intelligence-based algorithms may be used in patient triage to detect and sound the alarm based on early imaging, alert care teams, and assist in treatment selection. This article reviews algorithms for artificial intelligence techniques that may be used to detect and localize acute ischemic stroke. We describe artificial intelligence algorithms for these tasks and illustrate them with examples.

Multivariable analysis on factors associated with aneurysm rupture in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms.

PURPOSE: Multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA) occur in one-third of patients with intracranial aneurysms (IA), and have been previously associated with an overall worse prognosis. Risk factors for IA formation and rupture in patients with a single IA are well-known. However, risk factors associated with rupture in patients with MIA have been less studied. METHODS: We performed a retrospective search of patients with MIA identified by computed tomography angiography (CTA) within a 10-year period. Patients with > 1 saccular aneurysm with size ≥ 2.0 mm were included. The location, size, number, and rupture status of the aneurysms were recorded. Patient demographics and cerebrovascular risk factors were obtained from electronic medical records. The primary endpoint of this study was to determine the association of these factors with aneurysmal rupture. The case-fatality rate was evaluated as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: Of the 2957 patients with IA in our CTA database, 425 patients were diagnosed with MIA and were therefore included in our study. A total of 1082 aneurysms were identified. Predictors of increased risk of aneurysmal rupture were age (OR 0.98, 95% CI, 0.96-0.99), size ≥ 5 mm (OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.76-7.0); and location in the anterior communicating artery complex (AcomC) (OR 2.62, 95% CI, 1.46-4.72) or posterior communicating artery (PCOM) (OR 2.66, 95% CI, 1.45-4.87). CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, aneurysm size ≥ 5 mm, and location in the AcomC and PCOM were independently associated with aneurysmal rupture in patients with MIA. Identifying these features could help recognize patients who might benefit from early intervention.

Identifying Severe Stroke Patients Likely to Benefit From Thrombectomy Despite Delays of up to a Day.

Selected patients with large vessel occlusions (LVO) can benefit from thrombectomy up to 24 hours after onset. Identifying patients who might benefit from late intervention after transfer from community hospitals to thrombectomy-capable centers would be valuable. We searched for presentation biomarkers to identify such patients. Frequent MR imaging over 2 days of 38 untreated LVO patients revealed logarithmic growth of the ischemic infarct core. In 24 patients with terminal internal carotid artery or the proximal middle cerebral artery occlusions we found that an infarct core growth rate (IGR) <4.1 ml/hr and initial infarct core volumes (ICV) <19.9 ml had accuracies >89% for identifying patients who would still have a core of <50 ml 24 hours after stroke onset, a core size that should predict favorable outcomes with thrombectomy. Published reports indicate that up to half of all LVO stroke patients have an IGR <4.1 ml/hr. Other potentially useful biomarkers include the NIHSS and the perfusion measurements MTT and Tmax. We conclude that many LVO patients have a stroke physiology that is favorable for late intervention, and that there are biomarkers that can accurately identify them at early time points as suitable for transfer for intervention.

Clinico-radiologic factors in paraclinoid aneurysms associated with aneurysm rupture: A CTA study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Paraclinoid aneurysms are commonly noted as incidental findings by computed tomography angiography (CTA), and there exists disagreement in the literature as to which patient and aneurysm characteristics predict subsequent rupture. This question is of particular significance given the complex anatomy of the paraclinoid region and the associated risks of aneurysm treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine significant associated risk factors for paraclinoid aneurysm rupture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records and CTA imaging from 179 patients with 205 paraclinoid aneurysms. Patient and aneurysm characteristics including aneurysm size, morphology, and multiplicity were gathered for analysis of rupture risk. Factors influencing the decision to treat or observe unruptured aneurysms were also evaluated. A Cox regression analysis was used, and results were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method. RESULTS: Aneurysm size, diameter:neck ratio, and multilobularity were significantly associated with increased rupture risk; however, only multilobularity remained significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Intervention for unruptured aneurysms was significantly more likely to occur among younger patients and multilobulated aneurysms, or those having a larger diameter, height, height:neck ratio, or diameter:neck ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Multilobularity constitutes a significant associated risk factor for rupture among paraclinoid aneurysms. Younger age, larger size and multilobulated aneurysms are characteristics that favored treatment over observation in this cohort.

MR Imaging Selection of Acute Stroke Patients with Emergent Large Vessel Occlusions for Thrombectomy.

Acute stroke caused by large vessel occlusions (LVOs) are common. The time window to treat is up to 24 hours, and the most important factor is the size of the ischemic core. If the core is small (<70-100 mL), the penumbra must be large; penumbral imaging is unnecessary. MR imaging is precise in measuring the core, and superior to alternatives. The necessary sequences are obtainable rapidly, comparable to computed tomography scans. Available evidence suggests that most patients with LVOs are slow progressors defined as having a small core 6 hours or more after ictus onset.