Safety and effectiveness of anticoagulation in the management of acute stroke and transient ischemic attack due to intracranial and extracranial non-occlusive thrombus.

INTRODUCTION: The awareness of nonocclusive thrombus has increased with the increasing frequency of imaging methods used for acute ischemic stroke; however, the best treatment for nonocclusive thrombi is still unknown. In this study, we examined how anticoagulants affect supra-aortic artery nonocclusive thrombus and clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 52 patients with transient ischemic attack or stroke who were diagnosed with nonocclusive thrombi on computed tomography angiography at admission. Patients were treated with anticoagulant treatment and grouped according to treatment modality (either unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin) and treatment duration. Primary safety outcome was major bleeding defined as immediate and clnically significant hemorrhage. Anticoagulant treatment was continued until the thrombus was resolved as determined by consecutive weekly computed tomography angiography controls. After thrombus resolution, treatment was directed according to the underlying etiology. Antiaggregation treatment was the preferred treatment after thrombus resolution for patients with no observed etiology. RESULTS: The affected internal carotid arteries were most frequently located in the cervical segment (48 %). Complete resolution was achieved within 2 weeks in 50 patients (96 %). The involved vasculature included the following: the extracranial carotid artery segments (n = 26, 50 %), intracranial ICA segments (n = 10, 19 %), basilar artery segments (n = 8, 15 %) and MCA segments (n = 7, 13 %). The most common underlying pathologies were atherosclerosis (n = 17), atrial fibrillation (n = 17), undetermined embolic stroke (n = 8), dissection (n = 7), and malignancy (n = 2). No symptomatic intra- or extracranial bleeding complications due to anticoagulant use were observed in any patient during the study period. A good functional outcome (modified Rankin scale score 0-2) was achieved in 49 patients (94 %) at 3 months. There was no significant difference between treatment type and duration in terms of reinfarction (p = 0.97 and p = 0.78, respectively). CONCLUSION: Anticoagulant treatment is safe and effective in symptomatic patients with intracranial or extracranial artery nonocclusive thrombus, regardless of the anticoagulant type, thrombus location and size.

Identifying 'fast progressors' likely to benefit from mechanical thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Although the effect of mechanical thrombectomy in large vessel occlusions has been clearly demonstrated, there are different opinions about the treatment of patients with low ASPECT scores. We conducted this research to explore the utility of mechanical thrombectomy for the fast progressor patients. METHODS: We evaluated 394 patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) who applied to our center between 2012 and 2020 retrospectively. Patients with posterior system stroke and who admitted 6 h after the onset of symptoms, were not included in the study. The remaining 256 patients were divided into two groups as computed tomography angiography source image Alberta stroke program early computer tomography score (CTA-SI ASPECT) ≤ 6 and > 6. Modified rankin scale (mRS) 0-2 defined as good clinical outcome. Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score 2c-3 was accepted as successful recanalization. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the fast-progressive group (23.4%; n = 60) was 66.3 ± 11.6 years, whereas the mean age of the CTA-SI ASPECTS > 6 group (76.6%; n = 196) was 62.4 ± 12.8 years (p = 0.034) A statistically significant difference was found between the groups regarding 90-day mRS (p < 0.001). Whereas 61.7% of the patients with a CTA-SI ASPECTS > 6 had a 90-day mRS 0-2, this rate was 28.3% for patients with a CTA-SI ASPECTS ≤ 6. CONCLUSION: According to our study, approximately 1/3 of patients with ASPECTS ≤ 6 benefit from mechanical thrombectomy. In this patient group, age emerged as a determinant of good clinical outcome.