DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

Should Patients With Acute Minor Ischemic Stroke With Isolated Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion Be Thrombolysed?

We recently reported a worrying 30% rate of early neurological deterioration (END) occurring within 24 hours following intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in minor stroke with isolated internal carotid artery occlusion (ie, without additional intracranial occlusion), mainly due to artery-to-artery embolism. Here, we hypothesize that in this setting IVT-as compared to no-IVT-may foster END, in particular by favoring artery-to-artery embolism from thrombus fragmentation. From a large multicenter retrospective database, we compared minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score <6) isolated internal carotid artery occlusion patients treated within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset with either IVT or antithrombotic therapy between 2006 and 2020 (inclusion date varied among centers). Primary outcome was END within 24 hours (≥4 National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale points increase within 24 hours), and secondary outcomes were END within 7 days (END <sub>7d</sub> ) and 3-month modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1. Overall, 189 patients were included (IVT=95; antithrombotics=94 [antiplatelets, n=58, anticoagulants, n=36]) from 34 centers. END within 24 hours and END <sub>7d</sub> occurred in 46 (24%) and 60 (32%) patients, respectively. Baseline clinical and radiological variables were similar between the 2 groups, except significantly higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (median 3 versus 2) and shorter onset-to-imaging (124 versus 149min) in the IVT group. END within 24 hours was more frequent following IVT (33% versus 16%, adjusted hazard ratio, 2.01 [95% CI, 1.07-3.92]; P=0.03), driven by higher odds of artery-to-artery embolism (20% versus 9%, P=0.09). However, END <sub>7d</sub> and 3-month modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1 did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (END <sub>7d</sub> : adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29 [95% CI, 0.75-2.23]; P=0.37; modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1: adjusted odds ratio, 1.1 [95% CI, 0.6-2.2]; P=0.71). END <sub>7d</sub> occurred earlier in the IVT group: median imaging-to-END 2.6 hours (interquartile range, 1.9-10.1) versus 20.4 hours (interquartile range, 7.8-34.4), respectively, P<0.01. In our population of minor strokes with iICAO, although END rate at 7 days and 3-month outcome were similar between the 2 groups, END-particularly END due to artery-to-artery embolism-occurred earlier following IVT. Prospective studies are warranted to further clarify the benefit/risk profile of IVT in this population

Endovascular Therapy or Medical Management Alone for Isolated Posterior Cerebral Artery Occlusion: A Multicenter Study

International audienceBACKGROUND: Whether endovascular therapy (EVT) added on best medical management (BMM), as compared to BMM alone, is beneficial in acute ischemic stroke with isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusion is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter international observational study of consecutive stroke patients admitted within 6 hours from symptoms onset in 26 stroke centers with isolated occlusion of the first (P1) or second (P2) segment of the posterior cerebral artery and treated either with BMM+EVT or BMM alone. Propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to account for baseline between-groups differences. The primary outcome was 3-month good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 0-2 or return to baseline modified Rankin Scale). Secondary outcomes were 3-month excellent recovery (modified Rankin Scale score 0-1), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and early neurological deterioration. RESULTS: Overall, 752 patients were included (167 and 585 patients in the BMM+EVT and BMM alone groups, respectively). Median age was 74 (interquartile range, 63-82) years, 329 (44%) patients were female, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 6 (interquartile range 4-10), and occlusion site was P1 in 188 (25%) and P2 in 564 (75%) patients. Baseline clinical and radiological data were similar between the 2 groups following propensity score weighting. EVT was associated with a trend towards lower odds of good functional outcome (odds ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.66-1.01]; P=0.06) and was not associated with excellent functional outcome (odds ratio, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.95-1.43]; P=0.15). EVT was associated with a higher risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio, 2.51 [95% CI, 1.35-4.67]; P=0.004) and early neurological deterioration (odds ratio, 2.51 [95% CI, 1.64-3.84]; P\textless0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study of patients with proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion, EVT was not associated with good or excellent functional outcome as compared to BMM alone. However, EVT was associated with higher rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and early neurological deterioration. EVT should not be routinely recommended in this population, but randomization into a clinical trial is highly warranted

Perfusion Imaging and Clinical Outcome in Acute Minor Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion.

Whether bridging therapy (intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] followed by mechanical thrombectomy) is superior to IVT alone in minor stroke with large vessel occlusion is unknown. Perfusion imaging may identify subsets of large vessel occlusion-related minor stroke patients with distinct response to bridging therapy. We conducted a multicenter international observational study of consecutive IVT-treated patients with minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤5) who had an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion and perfusion imaging performed before IVT, with a subset undergoing immediate thrombectomy. Propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to account for baseline between-groups differences. The primary outcome was 3-month modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1. We searched for an interaction between treatment group and mismatch volume (critical hypoperfusion-core volume). Overall, 569 patients were included (172 and 397 in the bridging therapy and IVT groups, respectively). After propensity-score weighting, the distribution of baseline variables was similar across the 2 groups. In the entire population, bridging was associated with lower odds of achieving modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1: odds ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.55-0.96]; P=0.03. However, mismatch volume modified the effect of bridging on clinical outcome (P <sub>interaction</sub> =0.04 for continuous mismatch volume); bridging was associated with worse outcome in patients with, but not in those without, mismatch volume <40 mL (odds ratio, [95% CI] for modified Rankin Scale score 0-1: 0.48 [0.33-0.71] versus 1.14 [0.76-1.71], respectively). Bridging was associated with higher incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in the entire population, but this effect was present in the small mismatch subset only (P <sub>interaction</sub> =0.002). In our population of large vessel occlusion-related minor stroke patients, bridging therapy was associated with lower rates of good outcome as compared with IVT alone. However, mismatch volume was a strong modifier of the effect of bridging therapy over IVT alone, notably with worse outcome with bridging therapy in patients with mismatch volume ≤40 mL. Randomized trials should consider adding perfusion imaging for patient selection