TICI-RANKIN mismatch: Poor clinical outcome despite complete endovascular reperfusion in the ETIS Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Endovascular treatment (EVT) is a well-established technic for acute ischemic stroke, but despite a high recanalization rate of near 80%, at 3 months roughly 50% of patients have a poor functional outcome with a modified Rankin score (mRS) ≥3. The aim of this study was to determine predictive factors of poor functional outcomes in patients with complete recanalization after EVT, defined as modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) 3. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis based on the prospective multicenter ETIS registry (endovascular treatment in ischemic stroke) in France included 795 patients from January 2015 and November 2019 with acute ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation occlusion and prestroke mRS 0-1, treated with EVT and who achieved complete recanalization. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify predictive factors of poor functional outcome. RESULTS: 365 patients (46%) showed a poor functional outcome (mRS>2). In backward-stepwise logistic regression analysis, poor functional outcome was independently associated with older age (OR per 10-year increase, 1.51; 95%CI, 1.30 to 1.75), higher admission NIHSS (OR per 1 point increase, 1.28; 95%CI, 1.21 to 1.34), absence of prior intravenous thrombolysis (OR, 0.59; 95%CI, 0.39 to 0.90), and an unfavorable 24-hour NIHSS change (24h-baseline) (OR, 0.82; 95%CI, 0.79 to 0.87). We calculated that patients whose 24h NIHSS decreased by less than 5 points are more at risk of a poor outcome, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 65.0%. CONCLUSION: Despite complete reperfusion after EVT, half of patients had a poor clinical outcome. These patients, who were mainly older with a high initial NIHSS and an unfavorable post-EVT 24h NIHSS change, could represent a target population for early neurorepair and neurorestorative strategies.

Predictors of malignant middle cerebral artery infarction after mechanical thrombectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Several predictors have been described to early diagnose malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMI) and select patient for hemicraniectomy. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed them among patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical endovascular thrombectomy (MET). The overall objective in this study was to evaluate these predictors in patients undergoing MET in the purpose to guide the medical care in the acute phase. METHODS: We selected patients from a prospective local database which reference all patients eligible for treatment with Alteplase thrombolysis and/or mechanical endovascular thrombectomy in acute stroke. We investigated demographic, clinical, and radiological data. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify clinical and imaging predictors of MMI. RESULTS: In 32 months, 66 patients were included. Eighteen (27.3%) developed MMI. Malignant evolution was associated with: severity of neurological deficit and level of consciousness at admission, infarct size in DWI sequence and involvement of other vascular territories. Study groups didn't differ in terms of successful reperfusion. Two variables were identified as independent predictors of MMI: DWI infarct volume (p<0.001) and time to thrombectomy (p=0.018). A decision tree based on these two factors was able to predict malignant evolution with high specificity (100%) and sensibility (73%). CONCLUSION: Our study proposes a practical decision tree including DWI lesion volume and delay before thrombectomy to early and accurately predict MMI in a subgroup of patients with MCA infarction undergoing MET regardless to the status of reperfusion.