Leukoaraiosis Attenuates Diagnostic Accuracy of Large-Vessel Occlusion Scales.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prehospital stroke scales may help identify patients likely to have large-vessel occlusion to facilitate rapid triage to thrombectomy-capable stroke centers. Scale misclassification may result in inaccurate decisions and possible harm. Pre-existing leukoaraiosis has been shown to attenuate the association between deficit type and stroke severity. We sought to determine whether leukoaraiosis affects the predictive ability of 5 commonly used large-vessel occlusion scales. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 274 consecutive patients with stroke with available brain MR imaging and vessel imaging. We used the following large-vessel occlusion scales: the 3-Item Stroke Scale; Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination; Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation; Vision, Aphasia, Neglect score; and Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity Scale. For diagnostic scale accuracy, we assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and κ. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the predictive ability of the scales after adjustment for leukoaraiosis and potential confounders. RESULTS: In unadjusted analyses, all scales predicted the presence of large-vessel occlusion (n = 46, P < .01 each), though diagnostic accuracy was attenuated among patients with moderate-to-severe leukoaraiosis. After adjustment, the Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (OR = 3.2; 95% CI, 1.1-9.5; P = .033) and Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (OR = 3.7; 95% CI, 1.3-10.8; P = .015), but not the 3-Item Stroke Scale (OR = 5.4; 95% CI, 0.86-33.9; P = .073), Vision, Aphasia, Neglect score (OR = 2.5; 95% CI, 0.8-7.2), and Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity Scale (OR = 2.8; 95% CI, 1.0-8.0), predicted large-vessel occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of the tested large-vessel occlusion scales was attenuated in the presence of moderate-to-severe leukoaraiosis. This information that may aid the design of future studies that require large-vessel occlusion scale screening of patients who are likely to have concomitant leukoaraiosis.