Posterior circulation collaterals as predictors of outcome in basilar artery occlusion: a sub-analysis of the BASICS randomized trial.

Introduction and purpose: Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is still one of the most devastating neurological conditions associated with high morbidity and mortality. In the present study, we aimed to assess the role of posterior circulation collaterals as predictors of outcome in the BASICS trial and to compare two grading systems (BATMAN score and PC-CS) in terms of prognostic value. Methods: We performed a sub-analysis of the BASICS trial. Baseline clinical and imaging variables were analyzed. For the imaging analysis, baseline CT and CTA were analyzed by a central core lab. Only those patients with good or moderate quality of baseline CTA and with confirmed BAO were included. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to test the independent association of clinical and imaging characteristics with a favorable outcome at 3 months (defined as a modified Rankin Score of ≤3). ROC curve analysis was used to assess and compare accuracy between the two collateral grading systems. Results: The mean age was 67.0 (±12.5) years, 196 (65.3%) patients were males and the median NIHSS was 21.5 (IQR 11-35). Median NCCT pc-ASPECTS was 10 (IQR10-10) and median collateral scores for BATMAN and PC-CS were 8 (IQR 7-9) and 7 (IQR 6-8) respectively. Collateral scores were associated with favorable outcome at 3 months for both BATMAN and PC-CS but only with a modest accuracy on ROC curve analysis (AUC 0.62, 95% CI [0.55-0.69] and 0.67, 95% CI [0.60-0.74] respectively). Age (OR 0.97, 95% CI [0.95-1.00]), NIHSS (OR 0.91, 95% CI [0.89-0.94]) and collateral score (PC-CS - OR 1.2495% CI [1.02-1.51]) were independently associated with clinical outcome. Conclusion: The two collateral grading systems presented modest prognostic accuracy. Only the PC-CS was independently associated with a favorable outcome at 3 months.

The role of intravenous thrombolysis before mechanical Thrombectomy: A subgroup analysis of the RESILIENT trial.

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials have recently evaluated the non-inferiority of direct thrombectomy versus intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) followed by endovascular therapy in anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in patients eligible for IVT within 4.5 h from stroke onset with controversial results. We aimed to assess the effect of IVT on the clinical outcome of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in the RESILIENT trial. METHODS: RESILIENT was a randomized, prospective, multicenter, controlled trial assessing the safety and efficacy of thrombectomy versus medical treatment alone. A total of 221 patients were enrolled. The trial showed a substantial benefit of MT when added to medical management. All eligible patients received intravenous tPA within the 4.5-h-window. Ordinal logistic and binary regression analyses using intravenous tPA as an interaction term were performed with adjustments for potential confounders, including age, baseline NIHSS score, occlusion site, and ASPECTS. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 221 randomized patients (median NIHSS, 18 IQR [14-21]), 155 (70%) were treated with IVT. There was no difference in the mRS ordinal shift and frequency of functional independence between patients who received or not IV tPA; the odds ratio for the ordinal mRS shift was 2.63 [1.48-4.69] for the IVT group and 1.54 [0.63-3.74] for the no IVT group, with a p-value of 0.42. IVT also did not affect the frequency of good recanalization (TICI 2b or higher) and hemorrhagic transformation. CONCLUSIONS: The large effect size of MT on LVO outcomes was not significantly affected by IVT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RESILIENT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02216643.

Performance of RAPID noncontrast CT stroke platform in large vessel occlusion and intracranial hemorrhage detection.

Background: Noncontrast CT (NCCT) is used to evaluate for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemia in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Large vessel occlusions (LVOs) are a major cause of AIS, but challenging to detect on NCCT. Aims: The purpose of this study is to evaluate an AI software called RAPID NCCT Stroke (RAPID, iSchemaView, Menlo Park, CA) for ICH and LVO detection compared to expert readers. Methods: In this IRB approved retrospective, multicenter study, stand-alone performance of the software was assessed based on the consensus of 3 neuroradiologists and sensitivity and specificity were determined. The platform's performance was then compared to interpretation by readers comprised of eight general radiologists (GR) and three neuroradiologists (NR) in detecting ICH and hyperdense vessel sign (HVS) indicating LVO. Results: A total of 244 cases were included. Of the 244, 115 were LVOs and 26 were ICHs. One hundred three cases did not have LVO nor ICH. Stand-alone performance of the software demonstrated sensitivities and specificities of 96.2 and 99.5% for ICH and 63.5 and 95.1% for LVO detection. Compared to all 11 readers and eight GR readers only respectively, the software demonstrated superiority, achieving significantly higher sensitivities (63.5% versus 43.6%, p < 0.0001 and 63.5% versus 40.9%, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The RAPID NCCT Stroke platform demonstrates superior performance to radiologists for detecting LVO from a NCCT. Use of this software platform could lead to earlier LVO detection and expedited transfer of these patients to a thrombectomy capable center.

Management of acute stroke and urgent neurointerventional procedures during COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations on the Scientific Department on Cerebrovascular Diseases of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, Brazilian Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases and Brazilian Society of Neuroradiology.

INTRODUCTION: Although the 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) pandemic poses new challenges to the healthcare system to provide support for thousands of patients, there is special concern about common medical emergencies, such as stroke, that will continue to occur and will require adequate treatment. The allocation of both material and human resources to fight the pandemic cannot overshadow the care for acute stroke, a time-sensitive emergency that with an inefficient treatment will further increase mortality and long-term disability. OBJECTIVE: This paper summarizes the recommendations from the Scientific Department on Cerebrovascular Diseases of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, the Brazilian Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases and the Brazilian Society of Neuroradiology for management of acute stroke and urgent neuro-interventional procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including proper use of screening tools, personal protective equipment (for patients and health professionals), and patient allocation.

Decompressive craniectomy versus conservative treatment: limits and possibilities in malignant stroke.

BACKGROUND: Malignant infarction of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) occurs in a subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke and early decompressive craniectomy (DC) is one of its treatments. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functional outcome of patients with malignant ischemic stroke treated with decompressive craniectomy at a neurological emergency center in Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: Prospective cohort study, in which 25 patients were divided into two groups: those undergoing surgical treatment with DC and those who continued to receive standard conservative treatment (CT). Functionality was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at follow-up after six months. RESULTS: A favorable outcome (mRS≤3) was observed in 37.5% of the DC patients and 29.4% of CT patients (p=0.42). Fewer patients who underwent surgical treatment died (25%), compared to those treated conservatively (52.8%); however, with no statistical significance. Nonetheless, the proportion of patients with moderate to severe disability (mRS 4‒5) was higher in the surgical group (37.5%) than in the non-surgical group (17.7%). CONCLUSION: In absolute values, superiority in the effectiveness of DC over CT was perceived, showing that the reduction in mortality was at the expense of increased disability.

Pre-hospital Assessment of Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes: Implications for Modeling and Planning Stroke Systems of Care.

The social and financial burden of stroke is remarkable. Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. For several years, intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) remained as the only proven therapy for acute ischemic stroke. However, its benefit is hampered by a narrow therapeutic window and limited efficacy for large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes. Recent trials of endovascular therapy (EVT) for LVO strokes have demonstrated improved patient outcomes when compared to treatment with medical treatment alone (with or without IV rt-PA). Thus, EVT has become a critical component of stroke care. As in IV rt-PA, time to treatment is a crucial factor with high impact on outcomes. Unlike IV rt-PA, EVT is only available at a limited number of centers. Considering the time sensitive benefit of reperfusion therapies of acute ischemic stroke, costs and logistics associated, it is recommended that regional systems of acute stroke care should be developed. These should include rapid identification of suspected stroke, centers that provide initial emergency care, including administration of IV rt-PA, and centers capable of performing endovascular stroke treatment with comprehensive periprocedural care to which rapid transport can be arranged when appropriate. In the pre-hospital setting, the development of scales easier and quicker to perform than the NIHSS yet with a maintained accuracy for detecting LVO strokes is of paramount importance. Several scales have been developed. On the other hand, the decision whether to transport to a primary stroke center (PSC) or to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) is complex and far beyond the simple diagnosis of a LVO. Ongoing studies will provide important answers to the best transfer strategy for acute stroke patients. At the same time, the development of new technologies to aid in real time the decision-making process will simplify the logistics of regional systems for acute stroke care and, likely improve patients' outcomes through tailored selection of the most appropriate recanalization strategy and destination center.

Resultados da vertebroplastia percutânea na doença vertebral cervical / Results of percutaneous vertebroplasty in the cervical spine

A vertebroplastia percutânea (VP) consiste na injeção de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) no corpo vertebral para alívio da dor e estabilização vertebral, porém seu uso na região cervical é restrito. No intuito de avaliar a efetividade e a segurança da VP na região cervical (VPC), foram avaliados 75 pacientes que se submeteram à VPC (n=101) por doença maligna (n=69) ou hemangioma vertebral (n=6) no período de janeiro de 1994 a outubro de 2007. A VPC foi realizada por uma abordagem ântero-lateral guiada por fluoroscopia. A dor foi graduada por uma escala variando de 0 a 10. O seguimento clinico (período médio de 8,8 meses) foi obtido em 57 (76%) pacientes: 48 tiveram a VPC indicada para controle da dor e nove para estabilização vertebral. Os dados foram analisados de forma univariada e multivariada. A efetividade analgésica foi obtida em 37 (77,1%) dos 48 pacientes seguidos, tendo sido associada ao volume de cimento injetado (P=0,011) e ao preenchimento vertebral (P=0,007) na análise multivariada. A estabilidade vertebral foi observada em 55 (96,5%) dos 57 pacientes, não se correlacionando com as variáveis estudadas. A curva de ROC identificou o preenchimento vertebral como preditor da efetividade analgésica (P=0,008), sendo 50% o melhor ponto de corte para discriminar a maior probabilidade de efetividade analgésica (sensibilidade de 78,0% e especificidade de 62,5%). O extravasamento de cimento foi identificado em 83 (82,2%) das 101 vértebras tratadas não se correlacionando com as variáveis estudadas. As complicações clínicas foram detectadas em 13 (17,3 %) pacientes: complicações locais em 10 (13,3%) e sistêmicas em três (4%) pacientes. As complicações clínicas foram estatisticamente relacionadas à ruptura do muro posterior (P=0,026) e ao extravasamento de PMMA no plexo venoso transverso (P=0,023). A taxa de mortalidade e morbidade a longo termo foi de 1,3% (um paciente) e 1,3% (um paciente). Pode se inferir que a VPC é um procedimento efetivo e seguro...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) consists of an injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) into the vertebral body for pain relief and spinal stabilization, however reports of PV in the cervical spine (CPV) are scarce in the literature. To evaluate the effectiveness and security of CPV, we evaluated 75 patients (mean age, 51.3 years) who underwent CPV (n=101) for malignancies (n=69) and vertebral hemangiomas (n=6) between January 1994 and October 2007. CPV was performed via an antero-lateral approach, using fluoroscopic guidance. Pain intensity was scored with a scale ranging from 0 to 10. Follow-up (mean time of 8.8 months) was avaible in 57 (76 %) patients: 48 of them had CPV indicated for pain control and nine for spinal stabilization. Data were analysed by means of univariate and multivariate analysis. Pain improvement was observed in 37 (77.1%) out of 48 followed patients and was correlated in multivariate analysis with cement volume (P=0.011) and with vertebral filling (P=0.007). Spinal stabilization was observed in 55 (96.5%) of 57 followed patients and was related with none of the evaluated variables. The ROC curve identified the vertebral filling as a good predictor of pain improvement (P=0.008). The best cut-off point to discriminate pain improvement was 50% of vertebral filling (78.0% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity). In 83 (82.2%) of the 101 treated vertebral levels, at least one type of PMMA leakage was found. None of the evaluated factors were related significantly to PMMA leakage. Clinical complications were detected in 13 (17.3%) patients: local complications in 10 (13.3%) patients and systemic clinical complications in three (4.0%) patients. Posterior wall disruption (P=0.026) and transverse venous PMMA leakage (P=0.023) were significantly associated with clinical complications. Long-term morbidity and mortality rate was 1.3% (one patient) and 1.3% (one patient). CPV is a safe and efficacious procedure, but the potential for local...