Endovascular Therapy for Basilar Artery Occlusion.

Basilar artery occlusion is one of the most devastating neurological conditions with high risks of disability and mortality. Despite the overwhelming benefit of endovascular therapy (EVT) in the anterior circulation and observational data supporting the efficacy of EVT in the posterior circulation, evidence from randomized controlled trials in basilar artery occlusion had been lacking until recently. The BEST (Basilar Artery Occlusion Endovascular Intervention Versus Standard Medical Treatment) and BASICS (Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study) randomized trials showed a nonsignificant direction of benefit but failed to demonstrate the superiority of EVT over standard medical therapy in basilar artery occlusion. However, these trials paved the way for 2 subsequent positive trials by highlighting the importance of consecutive recruitment, fast enrollment and avoidance or minimization of cross-over. The recently completed ATTENTION (Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion) and BAOCHE (Basilar Artery Occlusion Chinese Endovascular Trial) trials showed that EVT is beneficial for basilar artery occlusion within 24 hours of onset, with a treatment effect similar to what has been shown in anterior circulation large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke. In this topical review, we examine and contextualize the current evidence on EVT for basilar artery occlusion.

Most Promising Approaches to Improve Stroke Outcomes: The Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable XII Workshop.

The Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable XII included a workshop to discuss the most promising approaches to improve outcome from acute stroke. The workshop brought together representatives from academia, industry, and government representatives. The discussion examined approaches in 4 epochs: pre-reperfusion, reperfusion, post-reperfusion, and access to acute stroke interventions. The participants identified areas of priority for developing new and existing treatments and approaches to improve stroke outcomes. Although many advances in acute stroke therapy have been achieved, more work is necessary for reperfusion therapies to benefit the most possible patients. Prioritization of promising approaches should help guide the use of resources and investigator efforts.

Perfusion Imaging Predicts Favorable Outcomes after Basilar Artery Thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Perfusion imaging identifies anterior circulation stroke patients who respond favorably to endovascular thrombectomy (ET), but its role in basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is unknown. We hypothesized that BAO patients with limited regions of severe hypoperfusion (time to reach maximum concentration in seconds [Tmax] > 10) would have a favorable response to ET compared to patients with more extensive regions involved. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of BAO patients with perfusion imaging prior to ET. We prespecified a Critical Area Perfusion Score (CAPS; 0-6 points), which quantified severe hypoperfusion (Tmax > 10) in cerebellum (1 point/hemisphere), pons (2 points), and midbrain and/or thalamus (2 points). Patients were dichotomized into favorable (CAPS ≤ 3) and unfavorable (CAPS > 3) groups. The primary outcome was a favorable functional outcome 90 days after ET (modified Rankin Scale = 0-3). RESULTS: One hundred three patients were included. CAPS ≤ 3 patients (87%) had a lower median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS; 12.5, interquartile range [IQR] = 7-22) compared to CAPS > 3 patients (13%; 23, IQR = 19-36; p = 0.01). Reperfusion was achieved in 84% of all patients, with no difference between CAPS groups (p = 0.42). Sixty-four percent of reperfused CAPS ≤ 3 patients had a favorable outcome compared to 8% of nonreperfused CAPS ≤ 3 patients (odds ratio [OR] = 21.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.6-170; p < 0.001). No CAPS > 3 patients had a favorable outcome, regardless of reperfusion. In a multivariate regression analysis, CAPS ≤ 3 was a robust independent predictor of favorable outcome after adjustment for reperfusion, age, and pre-ET NIHSS (OR = 39.25, 95% CI = 1.34->999, p = 0.04). INTERPRETATION: BAO patients with limited regions of severe hypoperfusion had a favorable response to reperfusion following ET. However, patients with more extensive regions of hypoperfusion in critical brain regions did not benefit from endovascular reperfusion. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:23-32.

What Is the Evidence for Endovascular Thrombectomy in Posterior Circulation Stroke?

Posterior circulation infarcts comprise approximately 25% of ischemic strokes but are less often treated with recanalization therapy and have longer treatment delays compared with anterior circulation strokes. Among posterior circulation strokes, basilar artery occlusion is associated with the most severe deficits and the worst prognosis. Endovascular thrombectomy is a standard of care for patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion, but not until recently were the first randomized controlled trials on endovascular thrombectomy in basilar artery occlusion published. Two of the trials were neutral, whereas two others showed better functional outcome after thrombectomy up to 24 hours of symptom onset compared with best medical treatment, which in most cases had low rates of intravenous thrombolysis. According to observational data, thrombectomy seems to be safe also in isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusions and might be an option for selected patients, even if its outcome benefit is yet to be demonstrated.

Cerebral perfusion imaging predicts final infarct volume after basilar artery thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Cerebral perfusion imaging may be used to identify the ischemic core in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with a large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation; however, perfusion parameters that predict the ischemic core in AIS patients with a basilar artery occlusion (BAO) are poorly described. We determined which cerebral perfusion parameters best predict the ischemic core after successful endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in BAO patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed multicenter retrospective study of BAO patients with perfusion imaging before EVT and a DWI after successful EVT. The ischemic core was defined as regions on CTP, which were co-registered to the final DWI infarct. Various time-to-maximum (Tmax) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) thresholds were compared to final infarct volume to determine the best predictor of the final infarct. RESULTS: 28 patients were included in the analysis for this study. Tmax >8s (r2: 0.56; median absolute error, 16.0 mL) and Tmax >10s (r2: 0.73; median absolute error, 11.3 mL) showed the strongest agreement between the pre-EVT CTP study and the final DWI. CBF <38% (r2: 0.76; median absolute error, 8.2 mL) and CBF <34% (r2: 0.76; median absolute error, 9.1 mL) also correlated well with final infarct volume on DWI. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-EVT CT perfusion imaging is useful to predict the final ischemic infarct volume in BAO patients. Tmax >8s and Tmax >10s were the strongest predictors of the post-EVT final infarct volume.

Posterior National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Improves Prognostic Accuracy in Posterior Circulation Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) underestimates clinical severity in posterior circulation stroke and patients presenting with low NIHSS may be considered ineligible for reperfusion therapies. This study aimed to develop a modified version of the NIHSS, the Posterior NIHSS (POST-NIHSS), to improve NIHSS prognostic accuracy for posterior circulation stroke patients with mild-moderate symptoms. METHODS: Clinical data of consecutive posterior circulation stroke patients with mild-moderate symptoms (NIHSS <10), who were conservatively managed, were retrospectively analyzed from the Basilar Artery Treatment and Management registry. Clinical features were assessed within 24 hours of symptom onset; dysphagia was assessed by a speech therapist within 48 hours of symptom onset. Random forest classification algorithm and constrained optimization were used to develop the POST-NIHSS in the derivation cohort. The POST-NIHSS was then validated in a prospective cohort. Poor outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 at 3 months. RESULTS: We included 202 patients (mean [SD] age 63 [14] years, median NIHSS 3 [interquartile range, 1-5]) in the derivation cohort and 65 patients (mean [SD] age 63 [16] years, median NIHSS 2 [interquartile range, 1-4]) in the validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, age, NIHSS, abnormal cough, dysphagia and gait/truncal ataxia were ranked as the most important predictors of functional outcome. POST-NIHSS was calculated by adding 5 points for abnormal cough, 4 points for dysphagia, and 3 points for gait/truncal ataxia to the baseline NIHSS. In receiver operating characteristic analysis adjusted for age, POST-NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73-0.87) versus NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64-0.83), P=0.03. In the validation cohort, POST-NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69-0.94) versus NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.73 (95% CI, 0.58-0.87), P=0.04. CONCLUSIONS: POST-NIHSS showed higher prognostic accuracy than NIHSS and may be useful to identify posterior circulation stroke patients with NIHSS <10 at higher risk of poor outcome.

Perceptions on basilar artery occlusion management in China versus other countries: Analysis of the after the BEST of BASICS (ABBA) survey.

INTRODUCTION: Uncertainty remains on the optimal management of basilar artery occlusion (BAO). Two large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in 2019 and 2021 demonstrated neutral results with respect to the use of endovascular therapy (EVT) for BAO. This study aimed to understand regional variation in physicians' perceptions towards the treatment of BAO as stratified by physician respondents from China versus outside China, prior to the publication of studies demonstrating a benefit of EVT for BAO. METHODS: An international online survey was conducted of stroke neurologists and neurointerventionalists from January to March 2022. Survey questions evaluated physician opinions toward the use of EVT in BAO, as well as the clinical and imaging features underlying treatment decisions. Respondents were dichotomized as either from China or from other countries and differences between groups were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 1245 physician respondents across 73 countries of which 295 (23.7%) were from China. Compared to respondents from the rest of the world, respondents from China were more likely to be interventionalists (71.5% vs 35.0%; p < 0.0001). Overall, more than 95% of respondents believed that EVT was superior to medical therapy under certain circumstances. Chinese respondents were more likely to believe that further RCTs were necessary than respondents from other countries (93.6% vs 76.2%; p < 0.0001). Chinese respondents were more likely to use advanced imaging in later time windows and use a premorbid mRS threshold of ≤2 for BAO selection to EVT. CONCLUSION: Most stroke physicians believe EVT is beneficial in selected patients with BAO. Clinical and imaging modality differences were observed in the selection criteria used for EVT. There was greater inclination to enroll all trial eligible patients in a BAO RCT by respondents from China as compared to other parts of the world.

Utility of Severity-Based Prehospital Triage for Endovascular Thrombectomy: ACT-FAST Validation Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Severity-based assessment tools may assist in prehospital triage of patients to comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), but criticisms regarding diagnostic inaccuracy have not been adequately addressed. This study aimed to quantify the benefits and disadvantages of severity-based triage in a large real-world paramedic validation of the Ambulance Clinical Triage for Acute Stroke Treatment (ACT-FAST) algorithm. METHODS: Ambulance Victoria paramedics assessed the prehospital ACT-FAST algorithm in patients with suspected stroke from November 2017 to July 2019 following an 8-minute training video. All patients were transported to the nearest stroke center as per current guidelines. ACT-FAST diagnostic accuracy was compared with hospital imaging for the presence of large vessel occlusion (LVO) and need for CSC-level care (LVO, intracranial hemorrhage, and tumor). Patient-level time saving to EVT was modeled using a validated Google Maps algorithm. Disadvantages of CSC bypass examined potential thrombolysis delays in non-LVO infarcts, proportion of patients with false-negative EVT, and CSC overburdening. RESULTS: Of 517 prehospital assessments, 168/517 (32.5%) were ACT-FAST positive and 132/517 (25.5%) had LVO. ACT-FAST sensitivity and specificity for LVO was 75.8% and 81.8%, respectively. Positive predictive value was 58.8% for LVO and 80.0% when intracranial hemorrhage and tumor (CSC-level care) were included. Within the metropolitan region, 29/55 (52.7%) of ACT-FAST-positive patients requiring EVT underwent a secondary interhospital transfer. Prehospital bypass with avoidance of secondary transfers was modeled to save 52 minutes (95% CI, 40.0-61.5) to EVT commencement. ACT-FAST was false-positive in 8 patients receiving thrombolysis (8.1% of 99 non-LVO infarcts) and false-negative in 4 patients with EVT requiring secondary transfer (5.4% of 74 EVT cases). CSC bypass was estimated to over-triage 1.1 patients-per-CSC-per-week in our region. CONCLUSIONS: The overall benefits of an ACT-FAST algorithm bypass strategy in expediting EVT and avoiding secondary transfers are estimated to substantially outweigh the disadvantages of potentially delayed thrombolysis and over-triage, with only a small proportion of EVT patients missed.

Effect of Intravenous Tenecteplase Dose on Cerebral Reperfusion Before Thrombectomy in Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Ischemic Stroke: The EXTEND-IA TNK Part 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Intravenous thrombolysis with tenecteplase improves reperfusion prior to endovascular thrombectomy for ischemic stroke compared with alteplase. Objective: To determine whether 0.40 mg/kg of tenecteplase safely improves reperfusion before endovascular thrombectomy vs 0.25 mg/kg of tenecteplase in patients with large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke. Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized clinical trial at 27 hospitals in Australia and 1 in New Zealand using open-label treatment and blinded assessment of radiological and clinical outcomes. Patients were enrolled from December 2017 to July 2019 with follow-up until October 2019. Adult patients (N = 300) with ischemic stroke due to occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid, \basilar, or middle cerebral artery were included less than 4.5 hours after symptom onset using standard intravenous thrombolysis eligibility criteria. Interventions: Open-label tenecteplase at 0.40 mg/kg (maximum, 40 mg; n = 150) or 0.25 mg/kg (maximum, 25 mg; n = 150) given as a bolus before endovascular thrombectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was reperfusion of greater than 50% of the involved ischemic territory prior to thrombectomy, assessed by consensus of 2 blinded neuroradiologists. Prespecified secondary outcomes were level of disability at day 90 (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score; range, 0-6); mRS score of 0 to 1 (freedom from disability) or no change from baseline at 90 days; mRS score of 0 to 2 (functional independence) or no change from baseline at 90 days; substantial neurological improvement at 3 days; symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 36 hours; and all-cause death. Results: All 300 patients who were randomized (mean age, 72.7 years; 141 [47%] women) completed the trial. The number of participants with greater than 50% reperfusion of the previously occluded vascular territory was 29 of 150 (19.3%) in the 0.40 mg/kg group vs 29 of 150 (19.3%) in the 0.25 mg/kg group (unadjusted risk difference, 0.0% [95% CI, -8.9% to -8.9%]; adjusted risk ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.66-1.61]; P = .89). Among the 6 secondary outcomes, there were no significant differences in any of the 4 functional outcomes between the 0.40 mg/kg and 0.25 mg/kg groups nor in all-cause deaths (26 [17%] vs 22 [15%]; unadjusted risk difference, 2.7% [95% CI, -5.6% to 11.0%]) or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (7 [4.7%] vs 2 [1.3%]; unadjusted risk difference, 3.3% [95% CI, -0.5% to 7.2%]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke, a dose of 0.40 mg/kg, compared with 0.25 mg/kg, of tenecteplase did not significantly improve cerebral reperfusion prior to endovascular thrombectomy. The findings suggest that the 0.40-mg/kg dose of tenecteplase does not confer an advantage over the 0.25-mg/kg dose in patients with large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke in whom endovascular thrombectomy is planned. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03340493.

Response to Late-Window Endovascular Revascularization Is Associated With Collateral Status in Basilar Artery Occlusion.

Background and Purpose- The benefit of endovascular therapy in extended time windows has been demonstrated in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke and favorable imaging profile. We evaluated whether collaterals and thrombus burden influence the associations between revascularization, time-to-treatment, and outcome in endovascular therapy-treated patients with basilar artery occlusion. Methods- We retrospectively analyzed clinical and imaging data of consecutive endovascular therapy-treated patients with basilar artery occlusion included in the multicenter Basilar Artery Treatment and Management Collaboration. The BATMAN (Basilar Artery on Computed Tomography Angiography score, which evaluates thrombus burden and collaterals) and the PC-CS (Posterior Circulation Collateral score, which evaluates collaterals) were assessed on computed tomography angiography, blinded to clinical outcome. Good outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3 within 3 months; revascularization (successful reperfusion) as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b-3 (or TIMI [Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction] 2-3 in the BASICS [Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study] registry). Results- We included 172 patients with basilar artery occlusion treated with endovascular therapy (124 with mechanical thrombectomy): mean (SD) age 65 (13) years, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 22 (interquartile range 12-30), 64 (37%) treated >6 hours. Revascularization (achieved in 79% of patients) was associated with good outcome (P=0.003). The use of new generation thrombectomy devices was associated with good outcome (P=0.03). In patients who achieved revascularization, 29/46 (63%) of patients with a favorable BATMAN score and 26/51 (51%) with favorable PC-CS had good outcomes. In logistic regression analysis (adjusted for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and time-to-treatment ≤6/>6 hours), revascularization was associated with good outcome in patients with favorable BATMAN score (odds ratio, 15.8; 95% CI, 1.4-175; P=0.02) or PC-CS (odds ratio, 9.4; 95% CI, 1.4-64; P=0.02). In patients who achieved revascularization, early (time-to-treatment ≤6 hours) but not late treatment was associated with improved outcome in patients with unfavorable BATMAN score (18/52 [35%]; odds ratio, 15; 95% CI, 1.9-124; P=0.01) or PC-CS (16/44 [36%]; odds ratio, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.4-21; P=0.01). Conclusions- Revascularization is associated with good outcome in patients with basilar artery occlusion with good collaterals and less extensive occlusion, even >6 hours after onset.

Safety and Efficacy of Reperfusion Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Active Malignancy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Epidemiological correlations between active malignancy (AM) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are well-established. However, the effect of reperfusion strategies, particularly mechanical thrombectomy (MT), has been barely investigated in patients with AIS and AM. We aim to evaluate safety and efficacy of reperfusion strategies in such patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a case-control analysis comparing patients with AM and AIS (AM group) to a group of cancer-free patients with AIS (control group). All enrolled patients underwent reperfusion therapies (i.e. intravenous thrombolysis, MT, intravenous thrombolysis plus MT). Main outcomes were 3-month functional independence, successful reperfusion, 3-month mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. RESULTS: Total 24 patients with AM and AIS (mean age: 69 ± 10.1) were individually matched to 24 control patients (mean age: 70.7 ± 9.3). In both groups 50% were treated with MT, 46% with intravenous thrombolysis and 4% with intravenous thrombolysis plus MT. No difference were found in successful reperfusion, 3-month functional independence, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. However an overall mortality of 33% in the AM group was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Reperfusion strategies for AIS patients with AM seem to be safe and effective. However an individualized approach to understand cancer stage and life-expectation is warranted.

Heparin during endovascular stroke treatment seems safe.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: the effect of intravenous heparin during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke is not clear. We aimed to study efficacy and safety of heparin use during endovascular stroke treatment in a real-world setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: patients with anterior circulation stroke were divided, based on the use of intraprocedural heparin, in those treated and those untreated. Main outcomes were successful reperfusion defined as a TICI Score ≥ 2b, 3-month functional independence defined as a modified Rankin Scale ≤ 2, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and mortality. RESULTS: 361 patients were eligible for analysis; 200 were (H+) and 161 (H-). The (H-) group showed higher age and ASPECTS (74 ± 14 vs. 68.9 ± 12.2; P = 0.001; 8 ± 1.6 vs. 7.4 ± 2.1; P = 0.009) without differences in vascular risk factors. Heparin untreated patients showed a shorter onset-to-reperfusion time (271 ± 57.6 min vs. 309 ± 102.2 min; P < 0.001). No differences were found in 3-month functional independence, sICH and mortality whereas the rate of successful reperfusion was higher in the (H-) group. After logistic regression analysis successful reperfusion was independently associated with CT ASPECTS (OR: 1.16; 95%CI 1.01-1.35; P = 0.040) but inversely associated with the use of heparin (OR: 0.48; 95% CI 0.24-0.98; P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Heparin use during mechanical thrombectomy for anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke in a real world setting is safe.

The Basilar Artery on Computed Tomography Angiography Prognostic Score for Basilar Artery Occlusion.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Basilar artery occlusion is associated with high risk of disability and mortality. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of a new radiological score: the Basilar Artery on Computed Tomography Angiography (BATMAN) score. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive stroke patients with basilar artery occlusion diagnosed on computed tomographic angiography was performed. BATMAN score is a 10-point computed tomographic angiography-based grading system which incorporates thrombus burden and the presence of collaterals. Reliability was assessed with intraclass coefficient correlation. Good outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3 at 3 months and successful reperfusion as thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b-3. BATMAN score was externally validated and compared with the Posterior Circulation Collateral score. RESULTS: The derivation cohort included 83 patients with 41 in the validation cohort. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, BATMAN score had an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-0.9) in derivation cohort and an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.6-0.9) in validation cohort. In logistic regression adjusted for age and clinical severity, BATMAN score of <7 was associated with poor outcome in derivation cohort (odds ratio, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.4-21; P=0.01), in validation cohort (odds ratio, 6.9; 95% CI, 1.4-33; P=0.01), and in endovascular patients, after adjustment for recanalization and time to treatment (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.2-18; P=0.01). BATMAN score of <7 was not associated with recanalization. Interrater agreement was substantial (intraclass coefficient correlation, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.8-0.9). BATMAN score had greater accuracy compared with Posterior Circulation Collateral score (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of collateral quality to clot burden in BATMAN score seems to improve prognostic accuracy in basilar artery occlusion patients.

Endovascular thrombectomy with versus without intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The benefit and safety of intravenous thrombolysis before endovascular thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion (BAO) remains unclear. This article aims to investigate the clinical outcomes and safety of endovascular thrombectomy with versus without intravenous thrombolysis in acute BAO stroke patients. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant literature pertaining to patients with acute BAO who underwent endovascular thrombectomy alone or intravenous thrombolysis bridging with endovascular thrombectomy (bridging therapy), until January 10, 2024. The primary outcome was functional independence, defined as a score of 0-2 on the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. The safety outcome was mortality at 90 days and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 h. Effect sizes were computed as risk ratio (RR) with random-effect models. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023462293). RESULTS: A total of 528 articles were obtained through the search and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. Finally, 2 RCTs and 10 cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that the endovascular thrombectomy alone group had a lower rate of functional independence compared to the bridging therapy group (29% vs 38%; RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.88, p < 0.001), lower independent ambulation (39% vs 45%; RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.98, p = 0.01), and higher mortality (36% vs 28%, RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.37, p = 0.001). However, no differences were detected in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the two groups (6% vs 4%; RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.74-1.71, p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: Intravenous thrombolysis plus endovascular thrombectomy seemed to led to better functional independence, independent ambulation, and lower risk of mortality without increasing the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage compared to endovascular thrombectomy alone. However, given the non-randomized nature of this study, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Association between procedural time and outcome in unsuccessful mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke: analysis from the Italian Registry of Endovascular Treatment in Acute Stroke.

BACKGROUND: We aim to assess the association between procedural time and outcomes in patients in unsuccessful mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for anterior circulation acute stroke. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study on prospectively collected data from patients with M1 and/or M2 segment of middle cerebral artery occlusion with a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 0-1 at the end of procedure. Primary outcome was 90-day poor outcome. Secondary outcomes were early neurological deterioration (END), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) according to ECASS II and sICH according to SITS-MOST. RESULTS: Among 852 patients, after comparing characteristics of favourable and poor outcome groups, logistic regression analysis showed age (OR: 1.04; 95%CI: 1.02-1.05; p < 0.001), previous TIA/stroke (OR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.12-0.74; p = 0.009), M1 occlusion (OR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.13-2.50; p = 0.01), baseline NIHSS (OR: 1.01; 95%CI: 1.06-1.13; p < 0.001) and procedural time (OR:1.00; 95% CI: 1.00-1.01; p = 0.003) as independent predictors poor outcome at 90 days. Concerning secondary outcomes, logistic regression analysis showed NIHSS (OR:0.96; 95%CI: 0.93-0.99; p = 0.008), general anaesthesia (OR:2.59; 95%CI: 1.52-4.40; p < 0.001), procedural time (OR: 1.00; 95% CI: 1.00-1.01; p = 0.002) and intraprocedural complications (OR: 1.89; 95%CI: 1.02-3.52; p = 0.04) as independent predictors of END. Bridging therapy (OR:2.93; 95%CI: 1.21-7.09; p = 0.017) was associated with sICH per SITS-MOST criteria whereas M1 occlusion (OR: 0.35; 95%CI: 0.18-0.69; p = 0.002), bridging therapy (OR: 2.02; 95%CI: 1.07-3.82; p = 0.03) and intraprocedural complications (OR: 5.55; 95%CI: 2.72-11.31; p < 0.001) were independently associated with sICH per ECASS II criteria. No significant association was found between the number of MT attempts and analyzed outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the number of MT attempts and intraprocedural complications, procedural time was associated with poor outcome and END. We suggest a deeper consideration of procedural time when treating anterior circulation occlusions refractory to MT.

Endovascular thrombectomy for basilar artery occlusion: translating research findings into clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Basilar artery occlusion is a rare and severe condition. The effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with basilar artery occlusion was unclear until recently, because these patients were excluded from most trials of endovascular thrombectomy for large-vessel occlusion ischaemic stroke. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: The Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS) and the Basilar Artery Occlusion Endovascular Intervention versus Standard Medical Treatment (BEST) trials, specifically designed to investigate the benefit of thrombectomy in patients with basilar artery occlusion, did not find significant evidence of a benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in terms of disability outcomes at 3 months after stroke. However, these trials suggested a potential benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in patients presenting with moderate-to-severe symptoms. Subsequently, the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (ATTENTION) and the Basilar Artery Occlusion Chinese Endovascular (BAOCHE) trials, which compared endovascular thrombectomy versus medical therapy within 24 h of onset, showed clear benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in reducing disability and mortality, particularly in patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms. The risk of intracranial haemorrhage with endovascular thrombectomy was similar to the risk in anterior circulation stroke. Thrombectomy was beneficial regardless of age, baseline characteristics, the presence of intracranial atherosclerotic disease, and time from symptom onset to randomisation. Therefore, the question of whether endovascular thrombectomy is beneficial in basilar artery occlusion now appears to be settled in patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms, and endovascular thrombectomy should be offered to eligible patients. WHERE NEXT?: Key outstanding issues are the potential benefits of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with mild symptoms, the use of intravenous thrombolysis in an extended time window (ie, after 4·5 h of symptom onset), and the optimal endovascular technique for thrombectomy. Dedicated training programmes and automated software to assist with the assessment of imaging prognostic markers could be useful in the selection of patients who might benefit from endovascular thrombectomy. Large international research networks should be built to address knowledge gaps in this field and allow the conduct of clinical trials with fast and consecutive enrolment and a diverse ethnic representation.

Temporal lobe atrophy as a potential predictor of functional outcome in older adults with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: To explore whether temporal lobe atrophy predicts 3-month functional outcome in a population of patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT). METHODS: We retrospectively selected patients > 65 years from our prospective endovascular stroke registry between June 2013 and August 2018. According to 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS), patients were divided in two groups, named good (mRS ≤ 2) and poor (mRS > 2) outcome. Measures of temporal lobe atrophy (i.e., interuncal distance [IUD], medial temporal lobe thickness [mTLT] and radial width of temporal horn [rWTH]) were assessed on pre-treatment CT scan. Cutoff values for good outcome were obtained for IUD, mTLT and rWTH by means of non-parametric ROC curve analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of outcome. Ordinal shift analysis based on cutoff values was built to evaluate differences in 3-month mRS. RESULTS: Among 340 patients, 130 (38.2%) had good and 210 (61.8%) had poor outcome. We found the following cutoff values for good outcome: < 25 mm for IUD, > 15 mm for mTLT and < 4 mm for rWTH. Lower IUD (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.63-0.80; p < 0.0001) and rWTH (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.61-0.87; p < 0.0001) and higher mTLT (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.14-1.49; p < 0.0001) were independently associated with good outcome. Ordinal shift analysis based on cutoff values revealed significant differences in the rate of good outcome for rWTH (49 vs 27%; p < 0.0001), mTLT (52 vs 21%; p < 0.0001) and IUD (57 vs 17%; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of temporal lobe atrophy may predict functional outcome in patients with AIS treated with MT.

Endovascular versus Medical Management of Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The optimal management of patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) compared to medical management (MM) for acute BAO through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs of patients with acute BAO. We analyzed the pooled effect of EVT compared to MM on the primary outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] of 0-3 at 3 months), secondary outcome (mRS 0-2 at 3 months), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and 3-month mortality rates. For each study, effect sizes were computed as odds ratios (ORs) with random effects and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. RESULTS: Four RCTs met inclusion criteria including 988 patients. There were higher odds of mRS of 0-3 at 90 days in the EVT versus MM group (45.1% vs. 29.1%, OR 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-3.80; P=0.04). Patients receiving EVT had a higher sICH compared to MM (5.4% vs. 0.8%, OR 7.89, 95% CI 4.10-15.19; P<0.01). Mortality was lower in the EVT group (35.5% vs. 45.1%, OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42-0.99; P=0.05). In an analysis of two trials with BAO patients and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) <10, there was no difference in 90-day outcomes between EVT versus MM. CONCLUSION: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, EVT was associated with favorable outcome and decreased mortality in patients with BAO up to 24 hours from stroke symptoms compared to MM. The treatment effect in BAO patients with NIHSS <10 was less certain. Further studies are of interest to evaluate the efficacy of EVT in basilar occlusion patients with milder symptoms.

Basilar artery occlusion management: Specialist perspectives from an international survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Two early basilar artery occlusion (BAO) randomized controlled trials did not establish the superiority of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) over medical management. While many providers continue to recommend EVT for acute BAO, perceptions of equipoise in randomizing patients with BAO to EVT versus medical management may differ between clinician specialties. METHODS: We conducted an international survey (January 18, 2022 to March 31, 2022) regarding management strategies in acute BAO prior to the announcement of two trials indicating the superiority of EVT, and compared responses between interventionalists (INTs) and non-interventionalists (nINTs). Selection practices for routine EVT and perceptions of equipoise regarding randomizing to medical management based on neuroimaging and clinical features were compared between the two groups using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Among the 1245 respondents (nINTs = 702), INTs more commonly believed that EVT was superior to medical management in acute BAO (98.5% vs. 95.1%, p < .01). A similar proportion of INTs and nINTs responded that they would not randomize a patient with BAO to EVT (29.4% vs. 26.7%), or that they would only under specific clinical circumstances (p = .45). Among respondents who would recommend EVT for BAO, there was no difference in the maximum prestroke disability, minimum stroke severity, or infarct burden on computed tomography between the two groups (p > .05), although nINTs more commonly preferred perfusion imaging (24.2% vs. 19.7%, p = .04). Among respondents who indicated they would randomize to medical management, INTs were more likely to randomize when the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was ≥10 (15.9% vs. 6.9%, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Following the publication of two neutral clinical trials in BAO EVT, most stroke providers believed EVT to be superior to medical management in carefully selected patients, with most indicating they would not randomize a BAO patient to medical treatment. There were small differences in preference for advanced neuroimaging for patient selection, although these preferences were unsupported by clinical trial data at the time of the survey.