Development of an International Virtual Multidisciplinary Tumor Board for Breast Cancer in Mongolia.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among Mongolian women and mortality rates are high. We describe a virtual multi-institutional and multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) for breast cancer created to assist the National Cancer Center of Mongolia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A virtual MTB for breast cancer was conducted with participation of two United States and 1 Mongolian cancer centers. A standardized template for presentations was developed. Recommendations were summarized and shared with participants. Collected data included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, stage, imaging and treatments performed, and recommendations. Questions were categorized as treatment, diagnosis, or palliative questions. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were evaluated. Median age was 39 y. 86.7% of breast cancers were invasive ductal cancers and 13.3% were metaplastic carcinomas. 53.3% were estrogen and progesterone receptor positive (ER+/PR+), 60% were HER2+, 13.3% were triple negative, and 26.7% were recurrent. 40% of patients were evaluated with mammography. 6% received positron emission tomography scans for metastatic evaluation. 66.7% of surgical patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Herceptin was administered to 55.6% of patients with Her2+ cancers. Modified radical mastectomy was most commonly performed and reconstruction was rare. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was not performed. 66.7% of ER+/PR+ patients received endocrine therapy. 6.7% of patients received radiation. 75% of MTB questions pertained to treatment. Recommendations were related to systemic therapy (40%), surgical management (33.3%), pathology (13.3%), and imaging (13.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the development of an international, virtual, multi-institutional breast cancer MTB and provides insight into challenges and potential interventions to improve breast cancer care in Mongolia.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty as treatment of malignant vertebral lesions: a systematic review and GRADE evaluation resulting in a Danish national clinical guideline.

PURPOSE: To summarize the recommendations from the national clinical guideline published by the Danish Health Authority, regarding cemental augmentation as treatment for painful vertebral lesions, in patients with malignant disease. METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group formulated recommendations based on the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Two of the questions were based on randomized studies and one on professional consensus. The guideline recommends cemental augmentation for painful vertebral lesions in patients with malignant diagnosis, either hematological or non-hematological. Fracture of the posterior wall is not a contradiction to cemental augmentation, but care should always be taken while injecting the cement, to decrease the risk of cemental leaks into the spinal canal. CONCLUSION: The recommendations are based on low-to-moderate quality of evidence or professional consensus as well as patient preferences and positive and harmful effects of the intervention. The working group recommends more randomized studies on patients with different malignant diseases and painful vertebral lesions comparing percutaneous vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty and conservative treatment to confirm the conclusion in this guideline. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Association of General Anesthesia vs Procedural Sedation With Functional Outcome Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Undergoing Thrombectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE: General anesthesia during thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke has been associated with poor neurological outcome in nonrandomized studies. Three single-center randomized trials reported no significantly different or improved outcomes for patients who received general anesthesia compared with procedural sedation. OBJECTIVE: To detect differences in functional outcome at 3 months between patients who received general anesthesia vs procedural sedation during thrombectomy for anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke. DATA SOURCE: MEDLINE search for English-language articles published from January 1, 1980, to July 31, 2019. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized clinical trials of adults with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of at least 10 and anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke assigned to receive general anesthesia or procedural sedation during thrombectomy. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Individual patient data were obtained from 3 single-center, randomized, parallel-group, open-label treatment trials with blinded end point evaluation that met inclusion criteria and were analyzed using fixed-effects meta-analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Degree of disability, measured via the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score (range 0-6; lower scores indicate less disability), analyzed with the common odds ratio (cOR) to detect the ordinal shift in the distribution of disability over the range of mRS scores. RESULTS: A total of 368 patients (mean [SD] age, 71.5 [12.9] years; 163 [44.3%] women; median [interquartile range] National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 17 [14-21]) were included in the analysis, including 183 (49.7%) who received general anesthesia and 185 (50.3%) who received procedural sedation. The mean 3-month mRS score was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.5-3.1) in the general anesthesia group vs 3.2 (95% CI, 3.0-3.5) in the procedural sedation group (difference, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.03-0.83]; cOR, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.09-2.29]; P = .02). Among prespecified adverse events, only hypotension (decline in systolic blood pressure of more than 20% from baseline) (80.8% vs 53.1%; OR, 4.26 [95% CI, 2.55-7.09]; P < .001) and blood pressure variability (systolic blood pressure >180 mm Hg or <120 mm Hg) (79.7 vs 62.3%; OR, 2.42 [95% CI, 1.49-3.93]; P < .001) were significantly more common in the general anesthesia group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke involving the anterior circulation undergoing thrombectomy, the use of protocol-based general anesthesia, compared with procedural sedation, was significantly associated with less disability at 3 months. These findings should be interpreted tentatively, given that the individual trials examined were single-center trials and disability was the primary outcome in only 1 trial.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Selection for Endovascular Stroke Therapy: Workflow in the GOLIATH Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The GOLIATH trial (General or Local Anesthesia in Intra-Arterial Therapy) compared infarct growth and outcome in patients undergoing endovascular therapy under either general anesthesia or conscious sedation. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and after the procedure to study infarct growth. In this post hoc analysis of GOLIATH, we aimed to characterize the workflow of patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging selection before endovascular therapy. METHODS: We randomized 128 patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke within 6 hours of onset to either general anesthesia or conscious sedation (1:1 allocation). We studied workflow time intervals to examine whether magnetic resonance imaging conferred a time delay in treatment when compared with computed tomography-based studies that emphasized rapid workflow. RESULTS: Of 128 patients enrolled between March 2015 and February 2017, 65 were randomized to general anesthesia. Baseline demographic and clinical variables were balanced between the treatment arms. The median interval from scan to groin puncture was 56.5 minutes (interquartile range, 44.5-73.5) for all patients. The median interval from admission to groin puncture was 68 minutes (interquartile range, 54.5-87 minutes). Comparable intervals in recent randomized data were 51 minutes (interquartile range, 39-68) for scan to groin puncture in the ESCAPE trial (Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Anterior Circulation Proximal Occlusion With Emphasis on Minimizing CT to Recanalization Times) and 90 minutes (interquartile range, 69-120 minutes) for door to groin puncture in the SWIFT-PRIME study (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment). CONCLUSIONS: Workflow in GOLIATH demonstrates that magnetic resonance imaging selection for endovascular therapy can be accomplished rapidly and within a similar time frame as computed tomography-based selection. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02317237.

White Matter Lesions, Carotid and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Late-Onset Depression and Healthy Controls.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) are more common in individuals with late-onset or late-life depression. It has been proposed that carotid atherosclerosis may predispose to WMLs by inducing cerebral hypoperfusion. This hemodynamic effect of carotid atherosclerosis could be important for the formation of WMLs in depression. METHODS: The case-control study included 29 patients with late-onset major depressive disorder and 27 controls matched for sex, age, and tobacco use. WML volume, carotid intima-media thickness, and coronary plaque volume were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound scan, and coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography, respectively. RESULTS: The mean age for the total sample was 59.7 ± 4.7 years. There was no difference in carotid intima-media thickness between patients and controls (p = 0.164), whereas a higher WML volume in the patients was found (p = 0.051). In both patients and controls, WML volume was associated with carotid but not with coronary atherosclerosis. In adjusted multiple linear regression, a 0.1mm increase in averaged carotid intima-media thickness was associated with a 52% (95% CI: 8.4-112, p = 0.032) increase in WML volume. The association between carotid intima-media thickness and WML volume was, however, similar in patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: In older persons aged between 50 and 70 years, WMLs do not seem to be a part of generalized atherosclerotic disease, but seem to be dependent on atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries. Carotid atherosclerosis, however, could not explain the higher WML load observed in the depressed patients, and thus, studies are needed to establish the mechanisms linking depression and WMLs.

Reduced cerebral cortical thickness in Non-cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with fatigue, depression, and cognitive impairment even in the absence of severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. HCV has been hypothesised to cause neurodegenerative changes through low-grade neuroinflammation. Our aim was to examine whether cortical thickness (CTh) differs between chronic HCV patients and healthy controls, suggestive of cortical atrophy. In this case-control study 43 HCV patients without severe liver fibrosis, substance abuse, or comorbid HIV or hepatitis B virus infection, and 43 age and sex matched controls underwent MRI. Cortical thickness was measured using a surface based approach. Participants underwent semi-structured psychiatric interview and fatigue was assessed using the fatigue severity scale. HCV was associated with higher fatigue scores, and 58 % of HCV patients suffered from significant fatigue (p < 0.0001). Depression was observed in 16 % of patients. Areas of significantly reduced CTh were found in both left and right occipital cortex and in the left frontal lobe after correction for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). No association between fatigue, former substance abuse, or psychotropic medication and CTh was found. No overall difference in cerebral white and grey matter volume was found. The findings support the hypothesis that HCV is associated with neurodegenerative changes.

Increased fractional anisotropy in cerebellum in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Previous morphology and diffusion-imaging studies have suggested that structural changes in white matter is an important part of the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, different methodological approaches and the heterogeneity of patient samples question the validity of the findings. Materials and methods In total, 30 patients were matched for age and sex with 30 healthy controls. All participants underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics were used to compare white matter volumes and diffusion tensor imaging between groups. These data were analysed correcting for the effects of multiple comparisons, age, sex, severity and duration of illness as nuisance covariates. White matter hyperintensities were manually identified. RESULTS: Increase in fractional anisotropy in cerebellum was the most prominent result. A decrease in fractional anisotrophy in patients comparable with previous studies was located in forceps minor. There were no differences in the white matter morphology or in the white matter hyperintensities between patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Decrease in fractional anisotrophy in forceps minor and increase in cerebellum were found, and they were not due to neither white matter hyperintensities nor morphology of the white matter. Cerebellar hyperconnectivity could be an important part of OCD pathophysiology.

Pain profiling of patients with temporomandibular joint arthralgia and osteoarthritis diagnosed with different imaging techniques.

BACKGROUND: Clinical differentiation between pain mechanisms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia and osteoarthritis (OA) is challenging. The aims were to compare somatosensory function at the TMJs and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) effects between TMJ arthralgia and OA patients diagnosed clinically and based on different imaging techniques and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 41). METHODS: Patients (n = 58) underwent standard clinical examination and three different TMJ imaging modalities. After each examination, they were classified into arthralgia or OA based on the findings. TMJ region somatosensory testing was performed in all participants. Z-scores were calculated for patients based on healthy reference data. CPM was tested by comparing pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) at TMJ and thenar (control) before, during and after the application of painful and nonpainful cold stimuli. Data were analyzed using analyses of variance. RESULTS: Somatosensory abnormalities were commonly detected in both patient groups. Assessment of somatosensory function at the TMJ revealed that arthralgia patients were less sensitive to warmth, cold and tactile stimuli than OA patients (P < 0.048). OA patients showed pressure hyperalgesia compared with arthralgia patients (P = 0.025). There was a significant CPM effect at both test sites during painful cold application in all groups (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the relative CPM effect between groups except for clinically diagnosed arthralgia patients showing reduced CPM effect compared with controls (P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Pain profiles including somatosensory function differed between TMJ arthralgia and OA patients although CPM effects were similar in patients and controls. Thus, different TMJ pain conditions may share common pain mechanisms but the present study for the first time also indicated that differential pain mechanisms could be involved.

Remote ischemic perconditioning as an adjunct therapy to thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Remote ischemic preconditioning is neuroprotective in models of acute cerebral ischemia. We tested the effect of prehospital rPerC as an adjunct to treatment with intravenous alteplase in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Open-label blinded outcome proof-of-concept study of prehospital, paramedic-administered rPerC at a 1:1 ratio in consecutive patients with suspected acute stroke. After neurological examination and MRI, patients with verified stroke receiving alteplase treatment were included and received MRI at 24 hours and 1 month and clinical re-examination after 3 months. The primary end point was penumbral salvage, defined as the volume of the perfusion-diffusion mismatch not progressing to infarction after 1 month. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-three patients were randomized after provisional consent, 247 received rPerC and 196 received standard treatment. Patients with a nonstroke diagnosis (n=105) were excluded from further examinations. The remaining patients had transient ischemic attack (n=58), acute ischemic stroke (n=240), or hemorrhagic stroke (n=37). Transient ischemic attack was more frequent (P=0.006), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission was lower (P=0.016) in the intervention group compared with controls. Penumbral salvage, final infarct size at 1 month, infarct growth between baseline and 1 month, and clinical outcome after 3 months did not differ among groups. After adjustment for baseline perfusion and diffusion lesion severity, voxelwise analysis showed that rPerC reduced tissue risk of infarction (P=0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall results were neutral, a tissue survival analysis suggests that prehospital rPerC may have immediate neuroprotective effects. Future clinical trials should take such immediate effects, and their duration, into account. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00975962.

Safety and efficacy of the eCLIPs bifurcation remodelling system for the treatment of wide necked bifurcation aneurysms: 1 year results from the European eCLIPs Safety, Feasibility, and Efficacy Study (EESIS).

BACKGROUND: The eCLIPs bifurcation remodelling system is a non-circumferential implant that bridges the neck from outside of a bifurcation aneurysm. The goal of the multicenter, post-marketing European eCLIPs Safety, FeasIbility, and Efficacy Study (EESIS), was to present the efficacy and safety results of the eCLIPs device after 365 days of follow-up. METHODS: All patients were to receive an eCLIPs in conjunction with coils. The study was conducted according to good clinical practices and included independent adjudication of safety and efficacy outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled at four European centers. Mean age was 60 years (range 41-74) and aneurysms were located at the basilar tip (n=19) and carotid tip (n=1). Average aneurysm dome height was 6.0 mm (range 2.0-15.0). Mean neck length was 5.1 mm (range 2.6-8.5). The technical success rate was 90% (18 of 20). No major territorial strokes or deaths occurred between the index procedure and after 365 days of follow-up. Complete occlusion was achieved in 60% of patients (12 of 20 patients) and 67% of patients with an eCLIPs device (12 of 18) after 365 days of follow-up. Adequate occlusion (complete occlusion and neck remnant) was achieved in 80% of patients (16 of 20 patients) and 89% of patients with an eCLIPs device (16 of 18 patients) after 365 days of follow-up. CONCLUSION: In this small series, treatment with eCLIPs was feasible, safe, and efficacious, considering the challenging nature of the aneurysms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02607501.

Correlations between Stroop task performance and white matter lesion measures in late-onset major depression.

Cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) are believed to play an important role in a subset of patients with late-onset depression by affecting the white matter connectivity in circuitries essential for mood and cognition. In this study we used diffusion tensor imaging-based (DTI-based) tractography to assess white matter fiber tracts affected by deep WMLs (DWMLs) in patients with late-onset major depression and age- and gender-matched controls. Tractography outcome, illustrated as pathways affected by DWMLs, was analyzed for associations with cognitive performance on the Stroop Test (ST). The patients (n=17) performed significantly worse on the ST than the controls (n=22). Poor performance on the ST correlated with higher lesion load. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between poor performance on the ST and tracts affected by DWMLs in multiple brain areas in the control group, but very sparse correlation in the patient group. Our results suggest that DWMLs play an important role in the cognitive performance of controls,whereas their influence in depressed patients is overruled by additional, state-dependent factors. Future focus on the tract-specific localization of WMLs using DTI tractography may reveal important associations between neuroconnectivity and clinical measures.

Reduction in waiting time for diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer - a fast track study.

UNLABELLED: Acceleration of diagnosis and initiation of treatment for head and neck cancer requires optimal organization and multidisciplinary collaboration. A project at the Head and Neck Oncology Centre, Aarhus University Hospital aimed at accelerating patient flow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Initiatives were implemented throughout the year 2007. Focus was on optimizing logistics for all patients referred to the center with suspected head and neck cancer. Initiatives included a full-time case manager, pre-booked slots for clinical work-up and weekly tumor-boards. Key-dates were registered and relevant intervals were quantitatively evaluated and compared to a reference-group from 2006. RESULTS: We registered 446 patients. Waiting times for first clinical examination on ENT department were reduced from median eight to median two days through 2007 (p < 0.0001). Time from first clinical examination and until referral for treatment was reduced from median 21 to median nine days (p < 0.0001). Time from referral to treatment and until initiation of treatment was reduced from median 26 to median 15 days (p < 0.001). The net result of these reductions was a reduced overall time from median 57 days ultimo 2006 to median 29 days ultimo 2007 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The current project has shown that it is possible to reduce waiting times in head and neck cancer. Through logistic changes, employment of a full-time case manager, strengthening the multidisciplinary tumor board and giving higher priority for head and neck cancer patients, the overall time from first suspicion of cancer until treatment start was reduced from 57 calendar days to 29 calendar days.

Anticipating the impact of COVID19 and comorbidities on the South African healthcare system by agent-based simulations.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide, and since 2007 it has been the main cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS. The current COVID-19 is a pandemic which caused many deaths around the world. The danger is not only a coinfection as observed for TB and HIV for a long time, but that both TB and SARS-CoV-2 affect the respiratory organs and thus potentiate their effect or accelerate the critical course. A key public health priority during the emergence of a novel pathogen is the estimation of the clinical need to assure adequate medical treatment. This requires a correct adjustment to the critical case detection rate and the prediction of possible scenarios based on known patterns. The African continent faces constraining preconditions in regard to healthcare capacities and social welfare which may hinder required countermeasures. However, given the high TB prevalence rates, COVID-19 may show a particular severe course in respective African countries, e.g. South Africa. Using WHO's TB and public infrastructure data, we conservatively estimate that the symptomatic critical case rate, which affects the healthcare system, is between 8 and 12% due to the interaction of COVID-19 and TB, for a TB population of 0.52% in South Africa. This TB prevalence leads to a significant increase in the peak load of critical cases of COVID-19 patients and potentially exceeds current healthcare capacities.

eCLIPs bifurcation remodeling system for treatment of wide neck bifurcation aneurysms with extremely low dome-to-neck and aspect ratios: a multicenter experience.

BACKGROUND: Wide necked bifurcation aneurysms (WNBA) are among the most difficult aneurysms to treat. Very low dome-to-neck (DTN) and aspect ratios provide an even greater challenge in the management of WNBAs. We present the safety and efficacy profile for endovascular clip system (eCLIPs) device in the treatment of this subset of WNBAs with very unfavorable morphologies. METHODS: In our case series, 24 patients treated at 12 international centers were taken from a larger prospective voluntary post-marketing registry of 65 patients treated with the eCLIPs device and coiling. Those who had WNBAs at either the carotid or basilar terminus with a DTN ratio <1.6 and aspect ratio <1.2 were included. Radiologic and clinical outcomes were assessed immediately after the procedure and at the latest follow-up. RESULTS: The eCLIPs device was successfully deployed in 23 cases (96%). One patient (4.2%) died due to guidewire perforation distal to the implant site. No other complications were documented. After a mean follow-up of 15.8 months (range 3-40 months), good radiologic outcomes (modified Raymond-Roy classification (MRRC) scores of 1 or 2) were documented in 20 of 21 patients (95%) with follow-up data. The lone patient with an MRRC score of 3 showed coiled compaction after incomplete neck coverage with the device. CONCLUSION: Our series of patients with aneurysms having adverse DTN and aspect ratios demonstrated that the eCLIPs device has a safety and efficacy profile comparable with currently available devices in the treatment of WNBAs.

Depression severity is correlated to the integrity of white matter fiber tracts in late-onset major depression.

Cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) are believed to play an important role in a subset of major depression (MD). We aimed to describe the impact of WMLs on white matter pathways in MD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetization transfer imaging. As a novel approach, we used DTI tractography to assess pathways intersected by WMLs. We examined 22 patients with late-onset MD and 22 age- and gender-matched controls. Parametric maps of fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) were obtained to describe tissue integrity. The association between depression severity and the tract-specific localization of WMLs was analyzed on a voxel-by-voxel basis. We showed a significant positive association between depression severity and fiber tracts intersected by WMLs in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and the right uncinate fasciculus. In both groups, WMLs had significantly lower FA and MTR, and higher ADC than both the tracts they intersected and the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). In turn, the tracts intersected by WMLs had significantly lower FA and higher ADC than the NAWM. In conclusion, depression severity correlates with the tract-specific localization of WMLs. WMLs have a pronounced effect on white matter integrity in the pathways they intersect.

Blood Pressure Thresholds and Neurologic Outcomes After Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Analysis of Individual Patient Data From 3 Randomized Clinical Trials.

Importance: The optimal blood pressure targets during endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are unknown. Objective: To study whether procedural blood pressure parameters, including specific blood pressure thresholds, are associated with neurologic outcomes after EVT. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included adults with anterior-circulation AIS who were enrolled in randomized clinical trials assessing anesthetic strategy for EVT between February 2014 and February 2017. The trials had comparable blood pressure protocols, and patients were followed up for 90 days. A total of 3630 patients were initially approached, and 3265 patients were excluded. Exposure: Endovascular therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary efficacy variable was functional outcome as defined by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days. Associations of blood pressure parameters and time less than and greater than mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) thresholds with outcome were analyzed. Results: Of the 365 patients included in the analysis, the mean (SD) age was 71.4 (13.0) years, 163 were women (44.6%), and the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 17 (interquartile range [IQR], 14-21). For the entire cohort, 182 (49.9%) received general anesthesia and 183 (50.1%) received procedural sedation. A cumulated period of minimum 10 minutes with less than 70 mm Hg MABP (adjusted OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.02-2.22) and a continuous episode of minimum 20 minutes with less than 70 mm Hg MABP (adjusted OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.11-4.75) were associated with a shift toward higher 90-day mRS scores, corresponding to a number needed to harm of 10 and 4, respectively. A cumulated period of minimum 45 minutes with greater than 90 mm Hg MABP (adjusted OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.11-2.02) and a continuous episode of minimum 115 minutes with greater than 90 mm Hg MABP (adjusted OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.01-3.54) were associated with a shift toward higher 90-day mRS scores, corresponding to a number needed to harm of 10 and 6, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Critical MABP thresholds and durations for poor outcome were found to be MABP less than 70 mm Hg for more than 10 minutes and MABP greater than 90 mm Hg for more than 45 minutes, both durations with a number needed to harm of 10 patients. Mean arterial blood pressure may be a modifiable therapeutic target to prevent or reduce poor functional outcome after EVT.

Interrater agreement for final infarct MRI lesion delineation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Lesion volume measured on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used as an outcome parameter in clinical stroke trials. However, few studies have evaluated the optimal sequence choice and the interrater reliability of this outcome measure. The objective of this study was to quantify the geometric interrater agreement for lesion delineation of chronic infarcts on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inverse recovery (FLAIR) MRI. METHODS: In a retrospective study of 14 patients, lesions on 90-day follow-up FLAIR and T2 fast spin echo MRI were outlined by 9 independent, blinded, experienced neuroradiologists. Voxel-wise interrater agreement was measured as (1) the volume of the intersection of individual rater's lesion outlines relative to the mean lesion volume (overlap ratio) and (2) the Hausdorff distance between the lesion markings. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 64.4 years (range, 45 to 79). Lesion volumes on FLAIR were, on average, 2.5 mL greater than were T2 volumes (median; P<0.001). We found considerable differences between raters' lesion markings, but interrater agreement was consistently better on FLAIR than on T2 images, as measured by a greater overlap ratio (P<0.0001) and a smaller Hausdorff distance (P<0.0001) on FLAIR than on T2. CONCLUSIONS: FLAIR should be used to quantify follow-up infarct size to minimize interrater variability. Our study suggests that imaging analysis performed by 1 or a few trained readers may be preferred. Future studies should address objective and preferably automated criteria for final lesion delineation.

Safety and quality of endovascular therapy under general anesthesia and conscious sedation are comparable: results from the GOLIATH trial.

BACKGROUND: The "General or Local Anesthesia in Intra-Arterial Therapy" (GOLIATH) trial compared infarct growth and outcome in patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT) under either general anesthesia (GA) or conscious sedation (CS). The results were the same for the primary outcome (infarct growth) but successful reperfusion was higher in the GA arm. OBJECTIVE: To further examine differences in the quality and safety of EVT with the two anesthetic regimens in a post hoc analysis of GOLIATH. METHODS: In GOLIATH, 128 subjects with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke within 6 hours of onset were randomized to either GA or CS (1:1 allocation). We compared the quality of reperfusion, treatment delay, use of catheters, and contrast and radiation dosage between the trial arms. RESULTS: Sixty-five subjects were randomized to GA. Baseline demographic and clinical variables were similar between the treatment arms. We found no difference in procedure time, contrast dose, or radiation dose between the two arms. Tandem occlusions were associated with a longer procedure time, but there was no difference between the two arms. There was no difference in reperfusion rates between the direct aspiration technique and a stent retriever (86% vs 79%, respectively, p=0.54), but aspiration was associated with a shorter procedure time (28 min vs 42 min for a stent retriever), p=0.03. CONCLUSION: Safety and quality of EVT under either GA and CS are comparable. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Unique identifier: NCT02317237;Post-results.