Dose reduction in perfusion CT in stroke patients by lowering scan frequency does not affect automatically calculated infarct core volumes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT Perfusion technique (CTP) is a quantitative, easily performed, accepted and reliable method for detection of ischemic brain changes. Based on calculated parameters, the size of ischemic penumbra and irreversibly damaged infarct core can be determined which helps guide treatment decisions. However, due to the dynamic nature of the CTP study, it is dose intensive. This study determines the consequences of retrospectively reducing the number of scans in the dynamic acquisition by half on the volume of the automatically calculated infarct core (non-viable tissue) and penumbra (tissue at risk) volumes. Our hypothesis was that equivalent volumetric information could be obtained at a substantial dose savings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty one consecutive patients with occlusion of M1 and/or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery and ischemic stroke proven by follow-up MRI were included. CTP scans were first analyzed in a standard fashion and automatically generated volumes measured in milliliters were recorded in a database. A second analysis was conducted after removing every second data acquisition from the sequential CTP scans. Automatic volume measurements were repeated, recorded and compared to the initial values obtained using the full dataset. RESULTS: The two CTP protocols were statistically equivalent pertaining to automatic infarct core volume calculation but a case-by-case analysis revealed substantial overestimation in some cases. CONCLUSION: Reduction of radiation exposure in CTP without objective loss of accuracy of automatically calculated infarct core volume is feasible but might lead to clinically relevant infarct core overestimation in individual cases.

Initial Experience with the Solitaire X 3 mm Stent Retriever for the Treatment of Distal Medium Vessel Occlusions.

Endovascular therapy (EVT) is the standard treatment for ischemic stroke caused by a large vessel occlusion (LVO). The effectiveness of EVT for distal medium vessel occlusions (MDVOs) is still uncertain, but newer, smaller devices show potential for EVT in MDVOs. The new Solitaire X 3 mm device offers a treatment option for MDVOs. Our study encompassed consecutive cases of primary and secondary MDVOs treated with the Solitaire X 3 mm stent-retriever as first-line EVT device between January and December 2022 at 12 European stroke centers. The primary endpoint was a first-pass near-complete or complete reperfusion, defined as a modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score of 2c/3. Additionally, we examined reperfusion results, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 24 h and discharge, device malfunctions, complications and procedural technical parameters. Sixty-eight patients (38 women, mean age 72 ± 14 years) were included in our study. Median NIHSS at admission was 11 (IQR 6-16). In 53 (78%) cases, a primary combined approach was used as the frontline technique. Among all enrolled patients, first-pass mTICI 2c/3 was achieved in 22 (32%) and final mTICI 2c/3 in 46 (67.6%) patients after a median of 1.5 (IQR 1-2) passes. Final reperfusion mTICI 2b/3 was observed in 89.7% of our cases. We observed no device malfunctions. Median NIHSS at discharge was 2 (IQR 0-4), and no symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages were reported. Based on our analysis, the utilization of the Solitaire X 3 mm device appears to be both effective and safe for performing EVT in cases of MDVO stroke.

Incidence and outcome of perforations during medium vessel occlusion compared with large vessel occlusion thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND: Vessel perforation during thrombectomy is a severe complication and is hypothesized to be more frequent during medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) thrombectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence and outcome of patients with perforation during MeVO and large vessel occlusion (LVO) thrombectomy and to report on the procedural steps that led to perforation. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, data of consecutive patients with vessel perforation during thrombectomy between January 1, 2015 and September 30, 2022 were collected. The primary outcomes were independent functional outcome (ie, modified Rankin Scale 0-2) and all-cause mortality at 90 days. Binomial test, chi-squared test and t-test for unpaired samples were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: During 25 769 thrombectomies (5124 MeVO, 20 645 LVO) in 25 stroke centers, perforation occurred in 335 patients (1.3%; mean age 72 years, 62% female). Perforation occurred more often in MeVO thrombectomy (2.4%) than in LVO thrombectomy (1.0%, p<0.001). More MeVO than LVO patients with perforation achieved functional independence at 3 months (25.7% vs 10.9%, p=0.001). All-cause mortality did not differ between groups (overall 51.6%). Navigation beyond the occlusion and retraction of stent retriever/aspiration catheter were the two most common procedural steps that led to perforation. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, perforation was approximately twice as frequent in MeVO than in LVO thrombectomy. Efforts to optimize the procedure may focus on navigation beyond the occlusion site and retraction of stent retriever/aspiration catheter. Further research is necessary in order to identify thrombectomy candidates at high risk of intraprocedural perforation and to provide data on the effectiveness of endovascular countermeasures.

The cerebellar peduncle as localization of a recurrent atypical plexus papilloma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs) are infrequently encountered brain tumors with the majority originating in the ventricular system. Rarely, CPP occurs outside of the ventricles. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of a recurrent CPP that initially originated within the fourth ventricle, though years later it recurred in the left middle cerebellar peduncle. CONCLUSION: Patients with cerebellar plexus papilloma need long-term follow-up comprising regular magnetic resonance imagings since, in patients with a history of CPP, any new mild symptomatology, even years after the initial presentation, may be an early sign of tumor recurrence.