Endovascular Treatment

Background and Purpose- It is unclear whether endovascular treatment (EVT) is beneficial for patients with acute ischemic stroke with occlusion of the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery. We aimed to compare functional outcomes, technical aspects, and complications of EVT between patients with acute ischemic stroke because of M2 and M1 occlusions in clinical practice. Furthermore, outcome and complications after EVT in dominant and nondominant caliber M2 division occlusions were studied. Methods- Data were obtained from the MR CLEAN Registry (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands) which is an ongoing observational study in 16 Dutch centers performing EVT in the Netherlands. Functional outcome was measured with the modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days. Neurological recovery (delta National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale), successful reperfusion rates (extended Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction ≥2B), and safety outcomes were also investigated. Associations between occlusion location and outcome were analyzed with ordinal logistic regression models, with adjustment for other prognostic factors. Results- In total, 244 (24%) patients with an M2 and 759 (76%) patients with an M1 occlusion who underwent EVT were analyzed. Functional outcomes were not significantly different between patients with M2 versus M1 occlusions (adjusted common odds ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.87-1.73). Occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was also similar for M2 and M1 occlusions (6.6% versus 5.9%; P=0.84). Further analysis about dominance of an M2 branch was performed in 175 (72%) patients. Neurological recovery was comparable (mean delta National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, -2±10 for dominant M2, -5±5 for nondominant M2, and -4±9 [ P=0.24] for M1 occlusions). Furthermore, the effect of reperfusion status on functional outcome was comparable between occlusion divisions (common odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06-1.53 for dominant M2; common odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.93-1.87 for nondominant M2; and common odds ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.24-1.46 for M1 occlusions). Conclusions- Outcomes and complication rates after EVT were similar in patients with M2 and M1 occlusions. Although based on observational data and a limited sample size, a similar association of reperfusion status with functional outcome for all subgroups provides no evidence that patients with either a dominant or a nondominant M2 occlusion should be routinely excluded from EVT

Development and validation of a postprocedural model to predict outcome after endovascular treatment for ischemic stroke

Importance: Outcome prediction after endovascular treatment (EVT) for ischemic stroke is important to patients, family members, and physicians. Objective: To develop and validate a model based on preprocedural and postprocedural characteristics to predict functional outcome for individual patients after EVT. Design, Setting, and Participants: A prediction model was developed using individual patient data from 7 randomized clinical trials, performed between December 2010 and December 2014. The model was developed within the Highly Effective Reperfusion Evaluated in Multiple Endovascular Stroke Trials (HERMES) collaboration and external validation in data from the Dutch Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands (MR CLEAN) Registry of patients treated in clinical practice between March 2014 and November 2017. Participants included patients from multiple centers throughout different countries in Europe, North America, East Asia, and Oceania (derivation cohort), and multiple centers in the Netherlands (validation cohort). Included were adult patients with a history of ischemic stroke from an intracranial large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation who underwent EVT within 12 hours of symptom onset or last seen well. Data were last analyzed in July 2022. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): A total of 19 variables were assessed by multivariable ordinal regression to predict functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score) 90 days after EVT. Variables were routinely available 1 day after EVT. Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used to optimize model fit vs model complexity. Probabilities for functional independence (mRS 0-2) and survival (mRS 0-5) were derived from the ordinal model. Model performance was expressed with discrimination (C statistic) and calibration. Results: A total of 781 patients (median [IQR] age, 67 [57-76] years; 414 men [53%]) constituted the derivation cohort, and 3260 patients (median [IQR] age, 72 [61-80] years; 1684 men [52%]) composed the validation cohort. Nine variables were included in the model: age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, prestroke mRS score, history of diabetes, occlusion location, collateral score, reperfusion grade, NIHSS score at 24 hours, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage 24 hours after EVT. External validation in the MR CLEAN Registry showed excellent discriminative ability for functional independence (C statistic, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90-0.92) and survival (0.89; 95% CI, 0.88-0.90). The proportion of functional independence in the MR CLEAN Registry was systematically higher than predicted by the model (41% vs 34%), whereas observed and predicted survival were similar (72% vs 75%). The model was updated and implemented for clinical use. Conclusion and relevance: The prognostic tool MR PREDICTS@24H can be applied 1 day after EVT to accurately predict functional outcome for individual patients at 90 days and to provide reliable outcome expectations and personalize follow-up and rehabilitation plans. It will need further validation and updating for contemporary patients

Improving quality of stroke care through benchmarking center performance: why focusing on outcomes is not enough

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Endovascular Treatment With or Without Prior Intravenous Alteplase for Acute Ischemic Stroke

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Safety and Outcome of Endovascular Treatment for Minor Ischemic Stroke: Results From the Multicenter Clinical Registry of Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands

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Endovascular Treatment May Benefit Patients With Low Baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score: Results From the MR CLEAN Registry

Background Current American guidelines are uncertain regarding endovascular treatment (EVT) for patients with acute ischemic stroke with an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) <6. Dutch guidelines do not specify ASPECTS‐based exclusion criteria for EVT. In this retrospective observational cohort study, we investigated outcomes of EVT in patients with low ASPECTS in the MR CLEAN (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in The Netherlands) registry. Methods ASPECTS was trichotomized into 0 to 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 10, according to the grouping used in the ongoing trials. The effect of ASPECTS (granular and trichotomized) on 90‐day functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was assessed with multivariable logistic regression. We included multiplicative interaction terms to evaluate treatment interaction between ASPECTS and reperfusion (extended thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score 2B‐3) as a proxy for EVT. Results Among 3075 included patients, higher ASPECTS was associated with improved functional outcome (granular: adjusted common odds ratio [acOR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.10; trichotomized: acOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.23–1.87). Interaction with reperfusion was not significant (P=0.99 for granular, P=0.76 for trichotomized ASPECTS). All ASPECTS subgroups showed benefit of reperfusion (0–2 [n = 39]: acOR, 7.40; 95% CI, 1.41–18.68; 3–5 [n = 214]: acOR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.13–3.34; 6–10 [n = 2822]: acOR, 2.41; 95% CI, 2.08–2.80). ASPECTS was not associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (granular: acOR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.92–1.10, trichotomized: acOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.60–1.41). Conclusion Benefit of reperfusion was not modified by baseline ASPECTS. Patients in all ASPECTS subgroups showed benefit of reperfusion. These findings do not support withholding EVT on the basis of low ASPECTS only

Admission systolic blood pressure and effect of endovascular treatment in patients with ischaemic stroke: an individual patient data meta-analysis

Background: Current guidelines for ischaemic stroke treatment recommend a strict, but arbitrary, upper threshold of 185/110 mm Hg for blood pressure before endovascular thrombectomy. Nevertheless, whether admission blood pressure influences the effect of endovascular thrombectomy on outcome remains unknown. Our aim was to study the influence of admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) on functional outcome and on the effect of endovascular thrombectomy. Methods: We used individual patient data from seven randomised controlled trials (MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, EXTEND-IA, SWIFT PRIME, REVASCAT, PISTE, and THRACE) that randomly assigned patients with anterior circulation ischaemic stroke to endovascular thrombectomy (predominantly using stent retrievers) or standard medical therapy (control) between June 1, 2010, and April 30, 2015. We included all patients for whom SBP data were available at hospital admission. The primary outcome was functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale) at 90 days. We assessed the association of SBP with outcome in both the endovascular thrombectomy group and the control group using multilevel regression analysis and tested for non-linearity and for interaction between SBP and effect of endovascular thrombectomy, taking into account treatment with intravenous thrombolysis. Findings: We included 1753 patients (867 assigned to endovascular thrombectomy, 886 assigned to control) after excluding 11 patients for whom SBP data were missing. We found a non-linear association between SBP and functional outcome with an inflection point at 140 mm Hg (732 [42%] of 1753 patients had SBP <140 mm Hg and 1021 [58%] had SBP ≥140 mm Hg). Among patients with SBP of 140 mm Hg or higher, admission SBP was associated with worse functional outcome (adjusted common odds ratio [acOR] 0·86 per 10 mm Hg SBP increase; 95% CI 0·81–0·91). We found no association between SBP and functional outcome in patients with SBP less than 140 mm Hg (acOR 0·97 per 10 mm Hg SBP decrease, 95% CI 0·88–1·05). There was no significant interaction between SBP and effect of endovascular thrombectomy on functional outcome (p=0·96). Interpretation: In our meta-analysis, high admission SBP was associated with worse functional outcome after stroke, but SBP did not seem to negate the effect of endovascular thrombectomy. This finding suggests that admission SBP should not form the basis for decisions to withhold or delay endovascular thrombectomy for ischaemic stroke, but randomised trials are needed to further investigate this possibility. Funding: Medtronic

Prediction of Outcome and Endovascular Treatment Benefit: Validation and Update of the MR PREDICTS Decision Tool

Background and Purpose: Benefit of early endovascular treatment (EVT) for ischemic stroke varies considerably among patients. The MR PREDICTS decision tool, derived from MR CLEAN (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands), predicts outcome and treatment benefit based on baseline characteristics. Our aim was to externally validate and update MR PREDICTS with data from international trials and daily clinical practice. Methods: We used individual patient data from 6 randomized controlled trials within the HERMES (Highly Effective Reperfusion Evaluated in Multiple Endovascular Stroke Trials) collaboration to validate the original model. Then, we updated the model and performed a second validation with data from the observational MR CLEAN Registry. Primary outcome was functional independence (defined as modified Rankin Scale score 0-2) 3 months after stroke. Treatment benefit was defined as the difference between the probability of functional independence with and without EVT. Discriminative performance was evaluated using a concordance (C) statistic. Results: We included 1242 patients from HERMES (633 assigned to EVT, 609 assigned to control) and 3156 patients from the MR CLEAN Registry (all of whom underwent EVT within 6.5 hours). The C-statistic for functional independence was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.72-0.77) in HERMES and, after model updating, 0.80 (0.78-0.82) in the Registry. Median predicted treatment benefit of routinely treated patients (Registry) was 10.3% (interquartile range, 5.8%-14.4%). Patients with low (<1%) predicted treatment benefit (n=135/3156 [4.3%]) had low rates of functional independence, irrespective of reperfusion status, suggesting potential absence of treatment benefit. The updated model was made available online for clinicians and researchers at www.mrpredicts.com. Conclusions: Because of the substantial treatment effect and small potential harm of EVT, most patients arriving within 6 hours at an endovascular-capable center should be treated regardless of their clinical characteristics. MR PREDICTS can be used to support clinical judgement when there is uncertainty about the treatment indication, when resources are limited, or before a patient is to be transferred to an endovascular-capable center

Clinical consequence of vessel perforations during endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke

Purpose: Endovascular treatment (EVT) of acute ischemic stroke can be complicated by vessel perforation. We studied the incidence and determinants of vessel perforations. In addition, we studied the association of vessel perforations with functional outcome, and the association between location of perforation on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and functional outcome, using a large EVT registry. Methods: We included all patients in the MR CLEAN Registry who underwent EVT. We used DSA to determine whether EVT was complicated by a vessel perforation. We analyzed the association with baseline clinical and interventional parameters using logistic regression models. Functional outcome was measured using the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. The association between vessel perforation and angiographic imaging features and functional outcome was studied using ordinal logistic regression models adjusted for prognostic parameters. These associations were expressed as adjusted common odds ratios (acOR). Results: Vessel perforation occurred in 74 (2.6%) of 2794 patients who underwent EVT. Female sex (aOR 2.0 (95% CI 1.2–3.2)) and distal occlusion locations (aOR 2.2 (95% CI 1.3–3.5)) were associated with increased risk of vessel perforation. Functional outcome was worse in patients with vessel perforation (acOR 0.38 (95% CI 0.23–0.63)) compared to patients without a vessel perforation. No significant association was found between location of perforation and functional outcome. Conclusion: The incidence of vessel perforation during EVT in this cohort was low, but has severe clinical consequences. Female patients and patients treated at distal occlusion locations are at higher risk.</p