Rescue Stenting for Refractory Large Vessel Occlusions in the Thrombectomy Era: Intracranial Use of Coronary Stents in Low-mid Economic Settings.

BACKGROUND:  Failed mechanical thrombectomy due to a refractory emergent large vessel occlusion (RELVO) in patients presenting with an acute stroke poses a major challenge to the outcomes. OBJECTIVE:  We demonstrate the use of coronary stents in the intracranial circulation as rescue stenting for an already expensive mechanical thrombectomy procedure in a mid-low socioeconomic setting. METHODS:  A retrospective, multicenter study was conducted between December 2015 and January 2021. The studied cohort were patients who required the use of a rescue stenting using a coronary stent for emergent large vessel occlusion to avoid failed recanalization. Failed recanalization was defined as failed vessel recanalization after at least two passes. Patient demographic data, procedure specifics, type of stent used, and procedural outcomes were collected. RESULTS:  A total of 26 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included from eight different centers across India. Out of 26 patients, 19 (73.0%) were male and seven were female (26.9%). The mean age was 53.6 years, the youngest patient was 23 years old and the eldest was 68 years old. Seven patients (26.9%) had posterior circulation stroke due to occlusion of the vertebral or basilar artery and 19 patients (73.0%) had anterior circulation stroke median NIHSS at presentation was 16 (range 10 to 28) in anterior circulation stroke and 24 (range 16 to 30) in posterior circulation stroke. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) was given in three patients (11.5%). The hospital course of two patients was complicated by symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), which was fatal. Favorable revascularization outcome and favorable functional outcome was achieved in 22 patients (84.6%), three patients passed away (11.5%), and one patient was lost to follow up. CONCLUSIONS:  Overall, our study finds that rescue stenting using coronary stents can potentially improve outcomes in refractory large vessel occlusions while minimizing costs in low-mid economic settings.

Readmission Trends Related to Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment.

Background and Purpose: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with high mortality. Prophylactic treatment of the unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) is considered in a select group of patients thought to be at high for aneurysmal rupture. Hospital readmission rates can serve as a surrogate marker for the safety and cost-effectiveness of treatment options for UIAs; we present an analysis of the 30-day rehospitalization rates and predictors of readmission following UIA treatment with surgical and endovascular approaches. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from the National Readmission Database (NRD) derived from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for the year 2014. The cohort included patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of a treated unruptured aneurysm. The primary outcome variable was the 30-day readmission rate in open surgical vs. endovascularly treated groups. The secondary outcomes included predictors of readmissions, and causes of 30-day readmissions in these two groups. Results: The 30-day readmission rate for the surgical group was 8.37% compared to 4.87% for the endovascular group. The index hospitalization duration was longer in the surgical group. A larger proportion of the patients readmitted following surgical treatment were hypertensive (76.35, vs. 63.43%), but the prevalence of other medical comorbidities was comparable in the two treatment groups. Conclusions: There is a higher likelihood for 30-day readmission, longer duration of initial hospitalization and a lower likelihood of discharge home following surgical treatment of UIAs when compared to endovascular treatment. These findings, however, do not demonstrate long-term superiority of one specific treatment modality.

Risk of stroke in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients: A multinational study.

BACKGROUND: There is an increased attention to stroke following SARS-CoV-2. The goal of this study was to better depict the short-term risk of stroke and its associated factors among SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized patients. METHODS: This multicentre, multinational observational study includes hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from North and South America (United States, Canada, and Brazil), Europe (Greece, Italy, Finland, and Turkey), Asia (Lebanon, Iran, and India), and Oceania (New Zealand). The outcome was the risk of subsequent stroke. Centres were included by non-probability sampling. The counts and clinical characteristics including laboratory findings and imaging of the patients with and without a subsequent stroke were recorded according to a predefined protocol. Quality, risk of bias, and heterogeneity assessments were conducted according to ROBINS-E and Cochrane Q-test. The risk of subsequent stroke was estimated through meta-analyses with random effect models. Bivariate logistic regression was used to determine the parameters with predictive outcome value. The study was reported according to the STROBE, MOOSE, and EQUATOR guidelines. FINDINGS: We received data from 26,175 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from 99 tertiary centres in 65 regions of 11 countries until May 1st, 2020. A total of 17,799 patients were included in meta-analyses. Among them, 156(0.9%) patients had a stroke-123(79%) ischaemic stroke, 27(17%) intracerebral/subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 6(4%) cerebral sinus thrombosis. Subsequent stroke risks calculated with meta-analyses, under low to moderate heterogeneity, were 0.5% among all centres in all countries, and 0.7% among countries with higher health expenditures. The need for mechanical ventilation (OR: 1.9, 95% CI:1.1-3.5, p = 0.03) and the presence of ischaemic heart disease (OR: 2.5, 95% CI:1.4-4.7, p = 0.006) were predictive of stroke. INTERPRETATION: The results of this multi-national study on hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection indicated an overall stroke risk of 0.5%(pooled risk: 0.9%). The need for mechanical ventilation and the history of ischaemic heart disease are the independent predictors of stroke among SARS-CoV-2 patients. FUNDING: None.

Stent-Assisted Woven EndoBridge Implantation for Treatment of Wide-Necked Aneurysm Residual: Angiographic Video.

Woven EndoBridge (WEB) is an intrasaccular flow-disrupting device that has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of wide-neck ruptured and unruptured aneurysms at arterial bifurcations. Successful and effective treatment of aneurysms with the WEB device requires accurate sizing. For optimal positioning of the WEB device within the aneurysm sac, the diameter of the device has to exceed by the mean diameter of the aneurysm by 1.0 mm. However, this predictably results in an increase in the height of the device. In shallow, wide-necked aneurysms, this increase in height of the WEB device could result in encroachment of the device on the parent artery or branch vessel origins. In these circumstances, the placement of an intracranial stent can prevent such encroachment. In this video, we demonstrate the operative technique of stent-assisted WEB device placement that was performed at our institution for the treatment of a recurrent basilar apex aneurysm (Video 1). This previously ruptured aneurysm had been treated initially with primary coil embolization, and the patient consented to endovascular treatment of her aneurysm recurrence. The video illustrates this procedure using a combination of fluoroscopic images, fluoroscopic cines, and digital subtraction angiograms.

Reduced Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Perihematomal Edema Volumes in Diabetics on Sulfonylureas.

Background and Purpose- Sulfonylurea medications have been linked to reduced brain edema and improved outcome following ischemic stroke, but their effects on primary intracerebral hemorrhage (pICH) have not been thoroughly explored. Increasing ICH volume and perihematomal edema (PHE) volume are predictors of poor outcome in pICH. We investigated whether preexisting sulfonylurea use influenced ICH volume, PHE volume, and discharge disposition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus presenting with pICH. Methods- We performed a retrospective chart review of all diabetic patients presenting with pICH to 2 tertiary academic centers from 2006 to 2016. All patients with diabetes mellitus, pICH, admission computed tomography scan, and sulfonylurea use on admission were included in our study. For each case, 2-matched controls (admission date, age, hematoma location [deep versus lobar], use of antiplatelet, or anticoagulant) with diabetes mellitus and pICH were consecutively selected. ICH and PHE volumes were measured via region of interest analysis on admission computed tomography. To mitigate the influence of ICH volume on PHE, the PHE/ICH surface area ratio was calculated. Hospital discharge disposition was determined via chart abstraction. We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher exact test to compare cases and controls. Results- Of 317 patients screened, 21 sulfonylurea cases and 42-matched controls met criteria for study inclusion. Sulfonylurea cases had significantly lower admission ICH volumes (median, 4 mL; interquartile range [IQR], 2-30 versus median, 25 mL; IQR, 6-60; P=0.011), PHE volumes (median, 4 mL; IQR, 0.9-24 versus median, 17; IQR, 6-37; P=0.0095), and PHE/ICH surface area ratios (median, 0.28; IQR, 0.1-0.4 versus median, 0.43; IQR, 0.3-0.6; P=0.013) as compared with controls. Sulfonylureas were associated with improved discharge disposition ( P=0.0062). Conclusions- In patients with diabetes mellitus and pICH, sulfonylurea use predicted lower ICH and PHE volumes, lower relative PHE, and improved discharge disposition. Given the paucity of treatment options for pICH, further study of sulfonylureas is warranted.

Institutional and provider variations for mechanical thrombectomy in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: a survey analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Stent retriever combined with aspiration, or the 'Solumbra technique', has recently emerged as one of the popular methods of mechanical thrombectomy (MT). However, the variations in understanding and implementation of the Solumbra technique have not been reported. METHODS: An 18 part anonymous survey questionnaire was designed to extract information regarding technical variations of MT with a focus on the Solumbra technique. The survey link was posted on the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) website in 'SNIS connect'. RESULTS: 80 responses were obtained over 4 weeks that were included in the final analysis. Direct aspiration without a balloon guide catheter (BGC) was the most favored technique among respondents (41.12%) followed by the Solumbra technique without a BGC (32.4%). Among those using the Solumbra technique, 77.6% reported that they wait between 2 and 5 min to allow clot engagement, 55.2% always remove the microcatheter before aspiration, and 69.1% commence aspiration through the intermediate catheter only when retrieving the stent retriever. Operators who infrequently used or did not use BGCs reported a higher incidence of >80% Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b/3 annual recanalization rates (OR 8.85, 95% CI 2.03 to 38.55, P=0.004) compared with those who consistently used BGCs. CONCLUSION: Our study documents the variations in MT techniques, and more specifically, attempts to quantify variations in the Solumbra technique. The impact of these variations on recanalization rates and eventually patient outcomes are unclear, especially given the self-reported outcomes contained in this study.

Gadolinium to the rescue for mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical thrombectomy in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) requires cerebral digital subtraction angiography (DSA), typically performed with iodinated contrast medium. We present a case of emergent cerebral DSA and mechanical thrombectomy using gadolinium-based contrast for cerebral DSA in a patient with a history of anaphylaxis to iodinated contrast agents (ICs). CASE REPORT: A 72-year-old man developed left ventricle assist device thrombus while on anticoagulation. During hospitalization he suffered right middle cerebral artery occlusion with a National Institutes of Health stroke scale score of 10. He had a history of anaphylaxis and the advanced directives revealed do not resuscitate/do not intubate status. We performed an emergent DSA as part of thrombectomy procedure using gadolinium-based contrast mixed in 1:1 proportion with normal saline. The images obtained were of adequate quality and the patient underwent successful thrombectomy with modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2B recanalization. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-based contrast agents could be effective alternatives for cerebral DSA in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for AIS who have a history of anaphylactic reaction to ICs.

Hemicraniectomy for Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Syndrome: A Review of Functional Outcomes in Two High-Volume Stroke Centers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite recent landmark randomized controlled trials showing significant benefits for hemicraniectomy (HCT) compared with medical therapy (MT) in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMCAI), HCT rates have not substantially increased in the United States. We sought to evaluate early outcomes in patients with MMCAI who were treated with HCT (cases) in comparison to patients treated with MT due to the perception of procedural futility by families (controls). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients with acute MMCAI treated in 2 tertiary care centers during a 7-year period. Pretreatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months were documented. Functional independence (FI) and survival without severe disability (SWSD) were defined as mRS of 0-2 and 0-4, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 66 patients (37 cases and 29 controls) fulfilled the study inclusion criteria (mean age 59 ± 15 years, 52% men, median admission NIHSS score: 19 points [interquartile range {IQR}: 16-22]). Cases were younger (51 ± 11 versus 68 ± 13 years; P < .001) and tended to have lower median admission NIHSS than controls (18 [IQR:16-20] versus 20 [IQR:18-23]; P = .072). The rates of FI and SWSD at 3 months were higher in cases than controls (16% versus 0% [P = .031] and 62% versus 0% [P < .001]), while 3-month mortality was lower (24% versus 77%; P < .001). Multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders identified HCT as the most important predictor of lower risk of 3-month mortality (hazard ratio: .02, 95% confidence interval: .01-0.10; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: HCT is a critical and effective therapy for patients with MMCAI but cannot provide a guarantee of functional recovery.

Safety of cerebral angiography and neuroendovascular therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: Contrast-induced nephropathy is a common clinical concern in patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures, especially in those with pre-existent kidney disease. We aimed to define the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy in these high-risk patients in our practice. METHODS: We analyzed data retrospectively from patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures at two academic medical centers over a 4-year period. Contrast-induced nephropathy was determined by an absolute increase in serum creatinine of 0.5 mg/dL or a rise from its baseline value by ≥ 25%, at 48-72 h after exposure to contrast agent after excluding other causes of renal impairment. High-risk patients were identified as those with pre-procedural estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min irrespective of creatinine level, corresponding to stages 3-5 of chronic kidney disease. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-five high-risk patients undergoing conventional cerebral angiography and neuroendovascular interventions were identified. Only 1 out of 184 (0.54%) high-risk patients developed contrast-induced nephropathy. That one patient had stage 5 chronic kidney disease and multiple other risk factors. CONCLUSION: We have observed a very low rate of renal injury in patients with chronic kidney disease, traditionally considered high risk for neuroendovascular procedures. Multiple factors may be responsible in the risk reduction of contrast-induced nephropathy in this patient population.

Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) Signal Intensity Can Identify Stroke Within 6 and 8 Hours.

BACKGROUND: Patients with wake-up or unknown time of onset stroke are usually excluded from recanalization. However, a few studies indicate that some magnetic resonance sequences can help predict time from symptom onset (SxO). Our goal was to assess the value of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity ratio (SIR) in identifying patients within 6 and 8 hours of stroke onset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied consecutive acute stroke patients with known time of onset who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 48 hours of SxO. SIR was calculated as the value of the FLAIR signal intensity of the identified area of infarction divided by the signal intensity in the homologous contralateral side of the brain. RESULTS: Out of 160 patients included in this study, 72 and 80 patients had MRI within 6 and 8 hours of SxO, respectively. We found a positive correlation between SIR and time from SxO (Pearson coefficient, .63). Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that SIR ≤ 1.18 could accurately identify patients within 6 hours of SxO (86% sensitivity, 79% specificity) and a SIR ≤ 1.20 can be identified within 8 hours (89% sensitivity, 76% specificity). Among patients with no visible FLAIR hyperintensity, 83% (95% CI, 77%-89%) were within the 6-hour window. CONCLUSION: Quantitative assessment of FLAIR sequence can be used to identify patients within 6 and 8 hours of stroke onset.

Isolated Mammillary Body Infarct Causing Global Amnesia: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVES: Mamillary bodies play an important role in human memory and emotions. Vascular lesions causing an isolated mammillary body lesion without affecting the surrounding structures are very rare. METHODS: A 53-year-old male was brought to the emergency department with acute-onset memory problems suggestive of partial anterograde and retrograde amnesia. RESULTS: Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an isolated left mammillary body infarct sparing adjacent structures. CONCLUSION: Mamillary bodies play an intrinsic role in memory formation and retrieval rather than acting as relay-only station for hippocampal projections. Non-hippocampal input from the limbic midbrain via the ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden could be contributing to its function.

FABS: An Intuitive Tool for Screening of Stroke Mimics in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A large number of patients with symptoms of acute cerebral ischemia are stroke mimics (SMs). In this study, we sought to develop a scoring system (FABS) for screening and stratifying SM from acute cerebral ischemia and to identify patients who may require magnetic resonance imaging to confirm or refute a diagnosis of stroke in the emergency setting. METHODS: We designed a scoring system: FABS (6 variables with 1 point for each variable present): absence of Facial droop, negative history of Atrial fibrillation, Age <50 years, systolic Blood pressure <150 mm Hg at presentation, history of Seizures, and isolated Sensory symptoms without weakness at presentation. We evaluated consecutive patients with symptoms of acute cerebral ischemia and a negative head computed tomography for any acute finding within 4.5 hours after symptom onset in 2 tertiary care stroke centers for validation of FABS. RESULTS: A total of 784 patients (41% SMs) were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic curve (C statistic, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.98) indicated that FABS≥3 could identify patients with SM with 90% sensitivity (95% CI, 86%-93%) and 91% specificity (95% CI, 88%-93%). The negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 93% (95% CI, 90%-95%) and 87% (95% CI, 83%-91%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: FABS seems to be reliable in stratifying SM from acute cerebral ischemia cases among patients in whom the head computed tomography was negative for any acute findings. It can help clinicians consider advanced imaging for further diagnosis.

Critical Care of Brain Reperfusion.

Over the last few decades, the management of acute ischemic stroke has undergone significant advancements with the introduction of intravenous thrombolysis and more recently punctuated by the success of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy trials for large vessel occlusion. These advancements have transformed the practice of neurocritical care. In this review, we present a case-based discussion of common brain reperfusion techniques with an emphasis on complication recognition and management. The article encompasses recent evidence-based recommendations as well as some of our own institutional protocols.

Diffuse Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Hyperintensity in Subarachnoid Space Following Cerebral Angiography and Intravenous Thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVE: Transient cortical blindness (TCB) is a relatively rare but well-recognized complication following cardiovascular and cerebral angiography. METHODS: A 68-year-old male developed TCB following cerebral angiography along with punctate diffusion lesion evident on emergent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) for suspected stroke. RESULTS: Follow-up MRI revealed diffuse hyperintensities in subarachnoid space in fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence mostly in bilateral occipital lobes. CONCLUSION: The finding on the FLAIR as described in this case is an indication of diffuse disruption of the blood-brain barrier perhaps secondary to cerebral angiography, high blood pressure, and IV-tPA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of TCB with diffuse postcontrast FLAIR changes.

Systemic thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the safety of IV thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients harboring unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) in a multicenter study and a comprehensive meta-analysis of available case series. METHODS: We analyzed prospectively collected data from consecutive AIS patients treated with IVT during a 4-year period at 4 tertiary-care stroke centers. All patients routinely underwent CT or magnetic resonance angiography during hospitalization. The presence of UIA was documented on the basis of neuroradiology reports. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) was defined as imaging evidence of ICH combined with an increase in NIH Stroke Scale score of ≥4 points. A systematic meta-analysis of case series reporting safety of IVT in AIS with concomitant UIA was conducted according to PRISMA recommendations. RESULTS: Among 1,398 AIS patients treated with IVT, we identified 42 cases (3.0%) harboring a total of 48 UIAs. The rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic ICH were 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] by adjusted Wald method: 0%-12.6%) and 7.1% (95% CI: 1.8%-19.7%), respectively. A total of 5 case series met our inclusion criteria for meta-analysis, and the pooled rate of sICH among 120 IVT-treated AIS patients harboring UIA was 6.7% (95% CI: 3.1%-13.7%). In the overall analysis of 5 case-series studies, the risk ratio of sICH did not differ between AIS patients with and without UIA (risk ratio = 1.60; 95% CI: 0.54-4.77; p = 0.40) with no evidence of heterogeneity across included studies (I(2) = 22% and p = 0.27 for Cochran Q test). CONCLUSIONS: Our prospectively collected multicenter data, coupled with the findings of the meta-analysis, indicate the potential safety of IVT in AIS patients with UIA.

Internet-based information-seeking behavior for transient ischemic attack.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Internet became an increasingly important tool for accessing health information and is being used more frequently to promote public health. AIMS AND/OR HYPOTHESIS: To use Google search data to explore information seeking behavior for transient ischemic attack. METHODS: We selected two groups of keywords related to transient ischemic attack: 'Transient Ischemic Attack' and 'Mini Stroke'. We obtained all available online search data performed in the United States from the Google search engine for a 10-year span--January 2004 to December 2013. The monthly and daily search data for the selected keywords were analyzed--using moving average--to explore the trends, peaks, and declining effects. RESULTS: There were three significant concurrent peaks in the Google search data for the selected keywords. Each peak was directly associated with media coverage and news headlines related to the incident of transient ischemic attack in a public figure. Following each event, it took three- to seven-days for the search trend to return to its respective average value. Furthermore, the trend was steady for 'Transient Ischemic Attack'; however, the search interest for the keyword 'Mini Stroke' shows a steady increase. The overall search interest for the selected keywords was significantly higher in the southeastern United States. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that changes in online search behavior can be associated with media coverage of key events (in our case transient ischemic attack) in public figures. These findings suggest that multimedia health promotion campaigns might be more effective, if increased promptly after similar media coverage.

Cost burden of stroke mimics and transient ischemic attack after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator treatment.

BACKGROUND: Treatment decisions for patients with acute stroke symptoms are based on pertinent history, neurologic examination, laboratory studies, and head computed tomography. In this setting, patients with stroke mimic (SM) may mistakenly receive intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-rtPA). The goal of this study was to investigate the excess direct/indirect hospital costs among patients who received IV-rtPA when final diagnosis was not ischemic stroke. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 535 IV-rtPA-treated patients who presented to our primary stroke centers. The diagnosis of SM or transient ischemic attack (TIA) was based on patient presentation, hospital course, electroencephalography, and negative neuroimaging studies. The excess cost analysis compared actual direct and indirect hospital costs of a patient to what their direct and indirect hospital costs would have been had they primarily been diagnosed with mimic or TIA. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients post-IV-rtPA treatment had final diagnosis of SM; 21 had TIAs. The excess direct and indirect hospital costs for mimics were $257,975 and $152,813, respectively. The median excess cost was $5401 per admission. The excess total cost for TIAs was $85,026 with a median of $3407 per admission. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of IV-rtPA to patients with SMs remains prevalent and costly. Certain clinical or radiographic characteristics can help diagnose mimics; however, more studies need to be done to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of further clinical investigations among suspected SM patients who are within the thrombolysis treatment window.