Spinal dural leaks in patients with infratentorial superficial siderosis of the central nervous system-Refinement of a diagnostic algorithm.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system is a sporadic finding in magnetic resonance imaging, resulting from recurrent bleedings into the subarachnoid space. This study aimed to determine the frequency of spinal dural cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks amongst patients with a symmetric infratentorial siderosis pattern. METHODS: In all, 97,733 magnetic resonance images performed between 2007 and 2018 in our neurocenter were screened by a keyword search for "hemosiderosis" and "superficial siderosis." Siderosis patterns on brain imaging were classified according to a previously published algorithm. Potential causative intracranial bleeding events were also assessed. Patients with a symmetric infratentorial siderosis pattern but without causative intracranial bleeding events in history were prospectively evaluated for spinal pathologies. RESULTS: Forty-two patients with isolated supratentorial siderosis, 30 with symmetric infratentorial siderosis and 21 with limited (non-symmetric) infratentorial siderosis were identified. Amyloid angiopathy and subarachnoid hemorrhage were causes for isolated supratentorial siderosis. In all four patients with a symmetric infratentorial siderosis pattern but without a causative intracranial bleeding event in history, spinal dural abnormalities were detected. Dural leaks were searched for in patients with symmetric infratentorial siderosis and a history of intracranial bleeding event without known bleeding etiology, considering that spinal dural CSF leaks themselves may also cause intracranial hemorrhage, for example by inducing venous thrombosis due to low CSF pressure. Thereby, one additional spinal dural leak was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Persisting spinal dural CSF leaks can frequently be identified in patients with a symmetric infratentorial siderosis pattern. Diagnostic workup in these cases should include magnetic resonance imaging of the whole spine.

Simulation-based training improves process times in acute stroke care (STREAM).

BACKGROUND: The objective of the STREAM Trial was to evaluate the effect of simulation training on process times in acute stroke care. METHODS: The multicenter prospective interventional STREAM Trial was conducted between 10/2017 and 04/2019 at seven tertiary care neurocenters in Germany with a pre- and post-interventional observation phase. We recorded patient characteristics, acute stroke care process times, stroke team composition and simulation experience for consecutive direct-to-center patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular therapy (EVT). The intervention consisted of a composite intervention centered around stroke-specific in situ simulation training. Primary outcome measure was the 'door-to-needle' time (DTN) for IVT. Secondary outcome measures included process times of EVT and measures taken to streamline the pre-existing treatment algorithm. RESULTS: The effect of the STREAM intervention on the process times of all acute stroke operations was neutral. However, secondary analyses showed a DTN reduction of 5 min from 38 min pre-intervention (interquartile range [IQR] 25-43 min) to 33 min (IQR 23-39 min, p = 0.03) post-intervention achieved by simulation-experienced stroke teams. Concerning EVT, we found significantly shorter door-to-groin times in patients who were treated by teams with simulation experience as compared to simulation-naive teams in the post-interventional phase (-21 min, simulation-naive: 95 min, IQR 69-111 vs. simulation-experienced: 74 min, IQR 51-92, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: An intervention combining workflow refinement and simulation-based stroke team training has the potential to improve process times in acute stroke care.

Comparing the Prognostic Impact of Age and Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in Acute Stroke due to Large Vessel Occlusion.

Background and Purpose: Little is known about the combined effect of age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, and it is not clear how the effects of baseline age and NIHSS on outcome compare to each other. The previously described Stroke Prognostication Using Age and NIHSS (SPAN) index adds up NIHSS and age to a 1:1 combined prognostic index. We added a weighting factor to the NIHSS/age SPAN index to compare the relative prognostic impact of NIHSS and age and assessed EVT effect based on weighted age and NIHSS. Methods: We performed adjusted logistic regression with good outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0­2) as primary outcome. From this model, the coefficients for NIHSS and age were obtained. The ratio between the NIHSS and age coefficients was calculated to determine a weighted SPAN index. We obtained adjusted effect size estimates for EVT in patient subgroups defined by weighted SPAN increments of 3, to evaluate potential changes in treatment effect. Results: We included 1750/1766 patients from the HERMES collaboration (Highly Effective Reperfusion Using Multiple Endovascular Devices) with available age and NIHSS data. Median NIHSS was 17 (interquartile range, 13­21), and median age was 68 (interquartile range, 57­76). Good outcome was achieved by 682/1743 (39%) patients. The NIHSS/age effect coefficient ratio was ([−0.0032]/[−0.111])=3.4, which was rounded to 3, resulting in a weighted SPAN index defined as ([3×NIHSS]+age). Cumulative EVT effect size estimates across weighted SPAN subgroups consistently favored EVT, with a number needed to treat ranging from 5.3 to 8.7. Conclusions: The impact on chance of good outcome of a 1-point increase in NIHSS roughly corresponded to a 3-year increase in patient age. EVT was beneficial across all weighted age/NIHSS subgroups.

Glucose Modifies the Effect of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients With Acute Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Hyperglycemia is a negative prognostic factor after acute ischemic stroke but is not known whether glucose is associated with the effects of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with large-vessel stroke. In a pooled-data meta-analysis, we analyzed whether serum glucose is a treatment modifier of the efficacy of EVT in acute stroke. Methods- Seven randomized trials compared EVT with standard care between 2010 and 2017 (HERMES Collaboration [highly effective reperfusion using multiple endovascular devices]). One thousand seven hundred and sixty-four patients with large-vessel stroke were allocated to EVT (n=871) or standard care (n=893). Measurements included blood glucose on admission and functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale range, 0-6; lower scores indicating less disability) at 3 months. The primary analysis evaluated whether glucose modified the effect of EVT over standard care on functional outcome, using ordinal logistic regression to test the interaction between treatment and glucose level. Results- Median (interquartile range) serum glucose on admission was 120 (104-140) mg/dL (6.6 mmol/L [5.7-7.7] mmol/L). EVT was better than standard care in the overall pooled-data analysis adjusted common odds ratio (acOR), 2.00 (95% CI, 1.69-2.38); however, lower glucose levels were associated with greater effects of EVT over standard care. The interaction was nonlinear such that significant interactions were found in subgroups of patients split at glucose < or >90 mg/dL (5.0 mmol/L; P=0.019 for interaction; acOR, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.73-8.41 for patients < 90 mg/dL versus 1.83; 95% CI, 1.53-2.19 for patients >90 mg/dL), and glucose < or >100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L; P=0.004 for interaction; acOR, 3.17; 95% CI, 2.04-4.93 versus acOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.42-2.08) but not between subgroups above these levels of glucose. Conclusions- EVT improved stroke outcomes compared with standard treatment regardless of glucose levels, but the treatment effects were larger at lower glucose levels, with significant interaction effects persisting up to 90 to 100 mg/dL (5.0-5.5 mmol/L). Whether tight control of glucose improves the efficacy of EVT after large-vessel stroke warrants appropriate testing.

Stent-retriever thrombectomy after intravenous t-PA vs. t-PA alone in stroke.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke due to occlusions in the proximal anterior intracranial circulation, less than 40% regain functional independence when treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) alone. Thrombectomy with the use of a stent retriever, in addition to intravenous t-PA, increases reperfusion rates and may improve long-term functional outcome. METHODS: We randomly assigned eligible patients with stroke who were receiving or had received intravenous t-PA to continue with t-PA alone (control group) or to undergo endovascular thrombectomy with the use of a stent retriever within 6 hours after symptom onset (intervention group). Patients had confirmed occlusions in the proximal anterior intracranial circulation and an absence of large ischemic-core lesions. The primary outcome was the severity of global disability at 90 days, as assessed by means of the modified Rankin scale (with scores ranging from 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]). RESULTS: The study was stopped early because of efficacy. At 39 centers, 196 patients underwent randomization (98 patients in each group). In the intervention group, the median time from qualifying imaging to groin puncture was 57 minutes, and the rate of substantial reperfusion at the end of the procedure was 88%. Thrombectomy with the stent retriever plus intravenous t-PA reduced disability at 90 days over the entire range of scores on the modified Rankin scale (P<0.001). The rate of functional independence (modified Rankin scale score, 0 to 2) was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (60% vs. 35%, P<0.001). There were no significant between-group differences in 90-day mortality (9% vs. 12%, P=0.50) or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (0% vs. 3%, P=0.12). CONCLUSIONS: In patients receiving intravenous t-PA for acute ischemic stroke due to occlusions in the proximal anterior intracranial circulation, thrombectomy with a stent retriever within 6 hours after onset improved functional outcomes at 90 days. (Funded by Covidien; SWIFT PRIME ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01657461.).

A Network-Wide Stroke Team Program Reduces Time to Treatment for Endovascular Stroke Therapy in a Regional Stroke-Network.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Driven by the positive results of randomized, controlled trials of endovascular stroke therapies (EVT) in stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, different approaches to speed up the workflow for EVT candidates are currently being implemented worldwide. We aimed to assess the effect of a simple stroke network-wide workflow improvement project, primarily focusing on i.v. thrombolysis, on process times for patients undergoing EVT. METHODS: In 2015, we conducted a network-wide, peer-to-peer acute stroke workflow improvement program for i.v. thrombolysis with the main components of implementing a binding team-based algorithm at every stroke unit of the regional network, educating all stroke teams about non-technical skills and providing a stroke-specific simulation training. Before and after the intervention we recorded periprocedural process times, including patients undergoing EVT at the 3 EVT-capable centers (January - June 2015, n = 80 vs. July 2015 - June 2016, n = 184). RESULTS: In this multi-centric evaluation of 268 patients receiving EVT, we observed a relevant shortening of the median time from symptom onset to EVT specifically in patients requiring secondary transfer by almost an hour (300 min, 25-75% interquartile range [IQR] 231-381 min to 254 min, IQR 215.25-341 min; p = 0.117), including a reduction of the median door-to-groin time at the EVT-capable center in this patient group by 15.5 min (59 min, IQR 35-102 min to 43.5 min, IQR 27.75-81.25 min; p = 0.063). In patients directly admitted to an EVT-capable center, the median door-to-groin interval was reduced by 10.5 min (125 min, IQR 83.5-170.5 min to 114.5 min, IQR 66.5-151 min; p = 0.167), but a considerable heterogeneity between the centers was observed (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We show that a simple network-wide workflow improvement program primarily directed at fast i.v. thrombolysis also accelerates process times for EVT candidates and is a promising measure to improve the performance of an entire stroke network.

Cost-Effectiveness of Solitaire Stent Retriever Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results From the SWIFT-PRIME Trial (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical trials have demonstrated improved 90-day outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with stent retriever thrombectomy plus tissue-type plasminogen activator (SST+tPA) compared with tPA. Previous studies suggested that this strategy may be cost-effective, but models were derived from pooled data and older assumptions. METHODS: In this prospective economic substudy conducted alongside the SWIFT-PRIME trial (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke), in-trial costs were measured for patients using detailed medical resource utilization and hospital billing data. Utility weights were assessed at 30 and 90 days using the EuroQol-5 dimension questionnaire. Post-trial costs and life-expectancy were estimated for each surviving patient using a model based on trial data and inputs derived from a contemporary cohort of ischemic stroke survivors. RESULTS: Index hospitalization costs were $17 183 per patient higher for SST+tPA than for tPA ($45 761 versus $28 578; P<0.001), driven by initial procedure costs. Between discharge and 90 days, costs were $4904 per patient lower for SST+tPA than for tPA ($11 270 versus $16 174; P=0.014); total 90-day costs remained higher with SST+tPA ($57 031 versus $44 752; P<0.001). Higher utility values for SST+tPA led to higher in-trial quality-adjusted life years (0.131 versus 0.105; P=0.005). In lifetime projections, SST+tPA was associated with substantial gains in quality-adjusted life years (6.79 versus 5.05), cost savings of $23 203 per patient and was economically dominant when compared with tPA in 90% of bootstrap replicates. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke enrolled in the SWIFT-PRIME trial, SST increased initial treatment costs, but was projected to improve quality-adjusted life-expectancy and reduce healthcare costs over a lifetime horizon compared with tPA. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01657461.

Woven Endobridge (WEB) device for endovascular treatment of complex unruptured aneurysms-a single center experience.

INTRODUCTION: The introduction of the Woven Endobridge (WEB) device increases the feasibility of endovascular treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms with limitations given by currently available sizes and shapes of the device. Parallel to other studies, we used the new device for selected patients who were no optimal candidates for established techniques like neurosurgical clipping or endovascular coiling. We aimed to report the angiographic and clinical results of WEB implantations or combinations between WEB and coiling or intracranial stents. METHODS: We reviewed the records of n = 23 interventions in 22 patients with unruptured wide-neck aneurysms (UIA) who were assigned for aneurysm treatment with the use of the WEB or adjunctive techniques. Interventional procedures and clinical and angiographic outcomes are reported for the periprocedural phase and in mid-term FU. RESULTS: Of the included 22 patients, six patients needed additional coiling, intracranial stenting, or implantation of a flow diverter. WEB implantation was technically feasible in 22 out of the 23 interventions. Follow-up angiographic imaging proved total or subtotal occlusion of the aneurysm in 19 of 22 cases. Two minor recurrences remained stable during a period of 15 months. One patient with a partially thrombosed giant MCA aneurysm had a major recurrence and was retreated with a second WEB in combination with coiling. CONCLUSION: Despite of unfavorable anatomic conditions, broad-based and large UIA endovascular treatment with the WEB and adjunctive techniques was feasible with a low risk of complications and promising occlusion rates in mid-term follow-up.

Time to Treatment With Endovascular Thrombectomy and Outcomes From Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE: Endovascular thrombectomy with second-generation devices is beneficial for patients with ischemic stroke due to intracranial large-vessel occlusions. Delineation of the association of treatment time with outcomes would help to guide implementation. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the period in which endovascular thrombectomy is associated with benefit, and the extent to which treatment delay is related to functional outcomes, mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Demographic, clinical, and brain imaging data as well as functional and radiologic outcomes were pooled from randomized phase 3 trials involving stent retrievers or other second-generation devices in a peer-reviewed publication (by July 1, 2016). The identified 5 trials enrolled patients at 89 international sites. EXPOSURES: Endovascular thrombectomy plus medical therapy vs medical therapy alone; time to treatment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was degree of disability (mRS range, 0-6; lower scores indicating less disability) at 3 months, analyzed with the common odds ratio (cOR) to detect ordinal shift in the distribution of disability over the range of the mRS; secondary outcomes included functional independence at 3 months, mortality by 3 months, and symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation. RESULTS: Among all 1287 patients (endovascular thrombectomy + medical therapy [n = 634]; medical therapy alone [n = 653]) enrolled in the 5 trials (mean age, 66.5 years [SD, 13.1]; women, 47.0%), time from symptom onset to randomization was 196 minutes (IQR, 142 to 267). Among the endovascular group, symptom onset to arterial puncture was 238 minutes (IQR, 180 to 302) and symptom onset to reperfusion was 286 minutes (IQR, 215 to 363). At 90 days, the mean mRS score was 2.9 (95% CI, 2.7 to 3.1) in the endovascular group and 3.6 (95% CI, 3.5 to 3.8) in the medical therapy group. The odds of better disability outcomes at 90 days (mRS scale distribution) with the endovascular group declined with longer time from symptom onset to arterial puncture: cOR at 3 hours, 2.79 (95% CI, 1.96 to 3.98), absolute risk difference (ARD) for lower disability scores, 39.2%; cOR at 6 hours, 1.98 (95% CI, 1.30 to 3.00), ARD, 30.2%; cOR at 8 hours,1.57 (95% CI, 0.86 to 2.88), ARD, 15.7%; retaining statistical significance through 7 hours and 18 minutes. Among 390 patients who achieved substantial reperfusion with endovascular thrombectomy, each 1-hour delay to reperfusion was associated with a less favorable degree of disability (cOR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.76 to 0.93]; ARD, -6.7%) and less functional independence (OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.71 to 0.92], ARD, -5.2% [95% CI, -8.3% to -2.1%]), but no change in mortality (OR, 1.12 [95% CI, 0.93 to 1.34]; ARD, 1.5% [95% CI, -0.9% to 4.2%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this individual patient data meta-analysis of patients with large-vessel ischemic stroke, earlier treatment with endovascular thrombectomy + medical therapy compared with medical therapy alone was associated with lower degrees of disability at 3 months. Benefit became nonsignificant after 7.3 hours.

Elective carotid stenting fulfills quality standards defined in guidelines. / Elektives Carotis-Stenting erfüllt die in Leitlinien festgelegten Qualitätsstandards.

PURPOSE: According to evidence from randomized trials and current guidelines, elective carotid artery stenting (CAS) is still considered second-line therapy compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). However, the publication of randomized comparative trials for patients with symptomatic stenoses occurred well over 10 years ago. In view of problems regarding German quality assurance when differentiating elective from emergency interventions and low case numbers for CAS indications, it seemed reasonable to present neurologically controlled CAS results and to investigate whether elective CAS consistently fulfills the strict quality criteria and what differences exist with respect to emergency CAS interventions in acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 01/2012 and 07/2022, 141 elective CAS procedures were performed to treat patients with symptomatic (n = 123) and asymptomatic (n = 18) stenoses. Protection by a filter system was achieved in 134 of these elective procedures (95 %). During the same period, 158 patients underwent carotid stenting for acute stroke. Complication rates were determined using neurologically controlled data. CAS-related complications (stent thrombosis, stent-associated vascular damage, thromboembolism, and symptomatic hemorrhage) were extracted from emergency interventions, and clinical outcome (NIHSS progression) was determined during the inpatient stay. RESULTS: The rate of stroke and death determined during the inpatient stay for elective symptomatic patients was 0.8 %. Early treatment within the first 7 days after the index event, age > 70 years, and operator experience were not significant risk factors for the occurrence of complications. No complications were observed after CAS of asymptomatic stenoses. The procedure-related complication rate for emergency procedures was 7.8 %, which was significantly higher than after elective CAS, as expected (p < 0.006). CONCLUSION: Even with limited indications and limited case numbers, compliance with the strict quality criteria of the current S3 Guideline 2022 for elective CAS interventions is possible for both symptomatic and asymptomatic stenoses in an experienced center. Emergency CAS interventions have significantly higher complication rates under other conditions and must be considered separately with regard to quality assurance. KEY POINTS: · Elective carotid stenting fulfills the strict quality criteria of the current S3 guideline 2022.. · Emergency carotid stenting has significantly higher complication rates than elective procedures.. · Elective and emergency carotid stenting cannot be meaningfully compared.. CITATION FORMAT: · Keil F, Stahn S, Reitz SC et al. Elective carotid stenting fulfills quality standards defined in guidelines. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; DOI: 10.1055/a-2175-4029.

CLinical Assessment of WEB device in Ruptured aneurYSms (CLARYS): 12-month angiographic results of a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The CLinical Assessment of WEB device in Ruptured aneurYSms (CLARYS) study has shown that the endovascular treatment of ruptured bifurcation aneurysms with the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) is safe and effective and provides protection against rebleeding at 1 month and 1 year. The 12-month angiographic follow-up is an important endpoint of the study. METHODS: The CLARYS study is a prospective multicenter study conducted in 13 European centers. The study enrolled 60 patients with 60 ruptured aneurysms of the anterior and posterior circulation. The study was conducted with an independent assessment of safety outcomes and imaging. RESULTS: Sixty patients with 60 ruptured bifurcation aneurysms to be treated with the WEB were included. Fifty-three aneurysms (88.3%) had a broad base with a dome to neck ratio <2 (mean 1.6). Of these, 46 patients were evaluated by an independent core laboratory with follow-up imaging performed at 12 months or before eventual retreatment. At 1 year, 19/46 aneurysms (41.3%) were completely occluded (Raymond-Roy grade I), 21/46 (45.7%) had a residual neck and 6/46 (13.0%) had residual aneurysm filling. Adequate occlusion was reported in 40/46 (87%) aneurysms. Six patients underwent target aneurysm retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: The CLARYS study has previously shown that the use of the WEB in the endovascular treatment of ruptured bifurcation aneurysms provides effective protection against rebleeding with a good safety profile. The angiographic occlusion rates at 1 year reported here are comparable to those already seen in previous multicenter studies which primarily included unruptured aneurysms.

Detection and grading of dAVF: prospects and limitations of 3T MRI.

OBJECTIVES: DSA is currently the criterion standard for the assessment of dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF). Recently, evolving MRA techniques have emerged as a non-invasive alternative. The aim of this study is to assess the value of 3 T MRI in detecting and describing dAVF and to determine whether MRI can replace DSA as diagnostic procedure. METHODS: A total of 19 patients with dAVF and 19 without dAVF underwent the same MRI protocol, including 3D time-of-flight MRA and time-resolved contrast-enhanced MRA. The images were evaluated retrospectively by three independent readers with different levels of experience blinded to clinical information. The readers assessed the presence, the site, the venous drainage and the feeders of dAVF. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, intertechnique and interobserver agreements were calculated. RESULTS: DAVF can be detected with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy by experienced and also by less experienced readers. However, MRI has limitations when used for grading and evaluation of the angioarchitecture of the dAVF. Different experience, the limited resolution of MRI and its inability to selectively display arteries were the reasons for these limitations. CONCLUSIONS: With MRI dAVF can be detected reliably. Nevertheless, at present MRI can not fully replace DSA, especially for treatment planning.

CLinical Assessment of WEB device in Ruptured aneurYSms (CLARYS): results of 1-month and 1-year assessment of rebleeding protection and clinical safety in a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of the CLARYS study is to assess the protection against rebleeding when treating ruptured bifurcation aneurysms with the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device. METHODS: The CLARYS study is a prospective, multicenter study conducted in 13 European centers. Patients with ruptured bifurcation aneurysms were consecutively included between February 2016 and September 2017. The primary endpoint was defined as the rebleeding rate of the target aneurysm treated with the WEB within 30 days postprocedure. Secondary endpoints included periprocedural and postprocedural adverse events, total procedure and fluoroscopy times, and modified Rankin Scale score at 1 month and 1 year. RESULTS: Sixty patients with 60 ruptured bifurcation aneurysms to be treated with the WEB were included. A WEB device was successfully implanted in 93.3%. The rebleeding rate at 1 month and 1 year was 0%. The mean fluoroscopy time was 27.0 min. Twenty-three periprocedural complications were observed in 18 patients and resolved without sequelae in 16 patients. Two of these complications were attributed to the procedure and/or the use of the WEB, leading to a procedure/device-related intraoperative complication rate of 3.3%. Overall mortality at 1 month and 1 year was 1.7% and 3.8%, respectively and overall morbidity at 1 month and 1 year was 15% and 9.6%, respectively. WEB-related 1-month and 1-year morbidity and mortality was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: The interim results of CLARYS show that the endovascular treatment of ruptured bifurcation aneurysms with the WEB is safe and effective and, in particular, provides effective protection against rebleeding. It may induce profound change in the endovascular management of ruptured bifurcation aneurysms.

Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in COVID-19 patients: multicenter experience in 111 cases.

BACKGROUND: Data on the frequency and outcome of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) in patients with COVID-19 is limited. Addressing this subject, we report our multicenter experience. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of consecutive acute stroke patients with COVID-19 infection treated with MT at 26 tertiary care centers between January 2020 and November 2021. Baseline demographics, angiographic outcome and clinical outcome evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge and 90 days were noted. RESULTS: We identified 111 out of 11 365 (1%) patients with acute or subsided COVID-19 infection who underwent MT due to LVO. Cardioembolic events were the most common etiology for LVO (38.7%). Median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score were 16 (IQR 11.5-20) and 9 (IQR 7-10), respectively. Successful reperfusion (mTICI ≥2b) was achieved in 97/111 (87.4%) patients and 46/111 (41.4%) patients were reperfused completely. The procedure-related complication rate was 12.6% (14/111). Functional independence was achieved in 20/108 (18.5%) patients at discharge and 14/66 (21.2%) at 90 days follow-up. The in-hospital mortality rate was 30.6% (33/108). In the subgroup analysis, patients with severe acute COVID-19 infection requiring intubation had a mortality rate twice as high as patients with mild or moderate acute COVID-19 infection. Acute respiratory failure requiring ventilation and time interval from symptom onset to groin puncture were independent predictors for an unfavorable outcome in a logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a poor clinical outcome and high mortality, especially in patients with severe acute COVID-19 infection undergoing MT due to LVO.

Perfusion-diffusion mismatch in MRI to indicate endovascular treatment of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: Endovascular treatments such as transluminal balloon angioplasty and intra-arterial nimodipine represent rescue therapy for cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Both indication and data regarding its efficacy in the prevention of cerebral infarct are, however, inconsistent. Therefore, an MR based perfusion weighted imaging/diffusion weighted imaging (PWI/DWI) mismatch was used to indicate this treatment and to characterise its effectiveness. METHODS: MRI was performed for suspicion of CVS. For quantitative evaluation, the brain was partitioned into 19 arbitrary segments of comparable volume. Segments with PWI/DWI mismatch were defined as 'segment at risk (SR)'. In these cases, MRI was followed by angiography (digital subtraction angiography (DSA)) including endovascular treatment. 48 ± 12 h after treatment, a second MRI was performed and the treatment was repeated if new or remaining SR were observed. Efficacy was classified as the percentage of reduced diameter of the proximal cerebral arteries on DSA following the treatment: mild (≥33%), moderate (34-66%) or severe (≥67%). RESULTS: 48 treatment cycles, each consisting of MRI, DSA and a second MRI, were performed in 25 patients. During these cycles, 95 SR were identified. The infarct rate was significantly higher in SR (37%) compared with segments without risk (4%). The infarct rate in SR was significantly reduced if mild proximal CVS could be achieved. In the case of persistent severe CVS, infarcts occurred in all SR. CONCLUSION: The present series suggests that PWI/DWI mismatch is predictive of the development of infarct in the case of CVS. The infarct rate could, however, be improved if proximal CVS was sufficiently reduced.

Long-term outcome in patients treated for benign dural arteriovenous fistulas of the posterior fossa.

INTRODUCTION: Dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) draining into a dural sinus without recruitment of cortical veins is regarded as relatively benign lesion and treatment is advocated only if the patient is severely affected by the symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes in patients who received endovascular treatment or no treatment, respectively. METHODS: Twenty-one patients presented consecutively with pulsating tinnitus as leading symptom and with angiographically proven dAVF at the transverse or sigmoid sinus (Borden I). Nine patients underwent different types of endovascular embolisation, and 12 patients were not treated. After a median follow-up period of 2.3 years, outcome was evaluated by assessing the patients' symptoms and scores on the mRS, EQ-5D, SF-36 and HIT-6 scales. RESULTS: Complete long-term closure of the dAFV was achieved in two out of nine cases; subtotal occlusion was found in seven patients. Pulsating tinnitus persisted less frequently in treated than in untreated patients. Neurologic symptoms occurred in both groups. Neither these findings nor the clinical outcome and scores on the quality-of-life scales varied substantially between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Partial treatment did not resolve the clinical symptoms of patients with "benign" dural AVF in the follow-up and was not clearly superior to conservative management. These results suggest that embolisation should be offered only if there is a possibility of a complete cure without major periinterventional risks. Further studies should be performed to assess the risk-benefit ratio of pursuing more aggressive treatment strategies in patients with unbearable symptoms.

Wada test results contribute to the prediction of change in verbal learning and verbal memory function after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

In recent years, the clinical usefulness of the Wada test (WT) has been debated among researchers in the field. Therefore, we aimed to assess its contribution to the prediction of change in verbal learning and verbal memory function after epilepsy surgery. Data from 56 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent WT and subsequent surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Additionally, a standard neuropsychological assessment evaluating attentional, learning and memory, visuospatial, language, and executive function was performed both before and 12 months after surgery. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to determine the incremental value of WT results over socio-demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological characteristics in predicting postsurgical change in patients' verbal learning and verbal memory function. The incorporation of WT results significantly improved the prediction models of postsurgical change in verbal learning (∆R2 = 0.233, p = .032) and verbal memory function (∆R2 = 0.386, p = .005). Presurgical performance and WT scores accounted for 41.8% of the variance in postsurgical change in verbal learning function, and 51.1% of the variance in postsurgical change in verbal memory function. Our findings confirm that WT results are of significant incremental value for the prediction of postsurgical change in verbal learning and verbal memory function. Thus, the WT contributes to determining the risks of epilepsy surgery and, therefore, remains an important part of the presurgical work-up of selected patients with clear clinical indications.

Intracranial stenting in atherosclerotic disease-recent results and challenges to face.

Intracranial stenting is increasingly used as an add-on to medical therapy despite the fact that the overall clinical benefit remains a matter of debate, since we lack results of randomized trials. Decision making on interventional treatment is made on the grounds of the anticipated risk of stroke with antiplatelet medication on one hand and on the experience with stent treatment based on data from case series and registries on the other hand. This review will summarize the current knowledge on both topics serving as the fundament of patient selection for intracranial stenting. A second objective is to highlight some specific problems that are encountered when treating patients interventionally. Procedure-related complication rates and rates of in stent stenoses are still too high to be confident that endovascular treatment is superior to medical therapy of symptomatic stenoses. Optimization of patient selection criteria, stent technology, and periprocedural management are necessary to become undoubtedly competitive with antiplatelet therapy. With the current stage of development, interventional treatment of intracranial stenoses should be confined to specialized centers with a high expertise in neurovascular procedures.