Abstract A074: Endovascular Stroke Thrombectomy for Patients with Metastatic Cancer

Should Patients ≥90 Years with Acute Ischemic Stroke Still Undergo Endovascular Thrombectomy?

IntroductionIn the last several years,there has been a paradigm shift in treating patients presenting with large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes with endovascular therapy (EVT). Currently, the 24‐hour window has been incorporated in acute stroke management guidelines based on trials supporting the selection of patients with evidence of ischemic penumbra on perfusion imaging1,2. No current randomized control trials exist to support very late window EVT (beyond 24 hours) from last seen well (LSW) and its benefits are unknown. Several retrospective studies showed that EVT is safe and feasible up to 6 days from LSW in selected patients who are able preserve a favorable ischemic core to penumbra3, 4, 5. In this study we present a retrospective review of three patients with LVO strokes of the anterior circulation successfully treated between 10–14 days from LSW. We aim to explore the safety, efficiency and positive predictors of very late window EVT.MethodsA single center retrospective review of stroke patients was performed. 517 patients with LVO strokes who underwent EVT between January 2018 and December 2021 were screened. 3 patients were found to have EVT performed 24 hours beyond LSW. Patient demographics, characteristics and clinical information were collected by systematic chart review. The primary outcome was functional independence as assessed by the modified Rankin Score (mRS) at 90 days. The safety outcomes included neurological deterioration and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, defined as an increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of 4 or more). Further, a comprehensive literature review of studies describing very late window EVT cases indexed in PubMed was performed.ResultsWe identifiedthree patients with LVO strokes, treated more than 24 hours from LSW. Patient ages ranged from 75 to 89 years. Baseline NIHSS ranged from 1 to 13. All patients had LVO or stenosis of the anterior circulation (internal carotid artery and/or M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery). All patients had fluctuation in their symptoms with worsening going from a supine position to a sitting position, evidence of ischemic penumbra on perfusion imaging and slow infarct growth on repeat brain imaging. The time from LSW to intervention ranged from 11 to 14 days. Recanalization score ranged from 2B‐3. No patients had intracranial hemorrhage or neurological decline. mRS scores were 2, 4, and 6 at 3 months. The patient who died had preservation of neurological function but died in the hospital due to heart failure.ConclusionsWe conclude that widening of the EVT time window presents new opportunities to treat a select population of LVO stroke patients. To our knowledge, there are no other reports of EVT in LVO patients beyond 10 days of LSW. Patients who have evidence of large ischemic penumbra, fluctuation of symptoms with change in position or blood pressure, good collateral circulation, and small infarct core that grows slowly on repeat imaging may be reasonable candidates for delayed EVT. More data are needed to inform clinical practice.

BackgroundEndovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains the standard of care for acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, the safety and efficacy of repeat thrombectomy (rEVT) in recurrent LVO remains unclear. This...

Successful reperfusion is one of the strongest predictors of functional outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Despite continuous advancements in MT technology and techniques, reperfusion failure still occurs in ≈15% to 30% of patients with large vessel occlusion strokes undergoing MT. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rescue intracranial stenting for large vessel occlusion stroke after failed MT. The SAINT (Stenting and Angioplasty in Neurothrombectomy) Study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 14 comprehensive stroke centers through January 2015 to December 2020. Patients were included if they had anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke due to intracranial internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery-M1/M2 segments and failed MT. The cohort was divided into 2 groups: rescue intracranial stenting and failed recanalization (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia score 0-1). Propensity score matching was used to balance the 2 groups. The primary outcome was the shift in the degree of disability as measured by the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included functional independence (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0-2). Safety measures included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and 90-day mortality. A total of 499 patients were included in the analysis. Compared with the failed reperfusion group, rescue intracranial stenting had a favorable shift in the overall modified Rankin Scale score distribution (acOR, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.61-3.32]; P<0.001), higher rates of functional independence (35.1% versus 7%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.33 [95% CI, 3.14-12.76]; P<0.001), and lower mortality (28% versus 46.5%; aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.31-0.96]; P=0.04) at 90 days. Rates of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were comparable across both groups (7.1% versus 10.2%; aOR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.42-2.34]; P=0.98). The matched cohort analysis demonstrated similar results. Specifically, rescue intracranial stenting (n=107) had a favorable shift in the overall modified Rankin Scale score distribution (acOR, 3.74 [95% CI, 2.16-6.57]; P<0.001), higher rates of functional independence (34.6% versus 6.5%; aOR, 10.91 [95% CI, 4.11-28.92]; P<0.001), and lower mortality (29.9% versus 43%; aOR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.25-0.94]; P=0.03) at 90 days with similar rates of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (7.5% versus 11.2%; aOR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.31-2.42]; P=0.79) compared with patients who failed to reperfuse (n=107). There was no heterogeneity of treatment effect across the prespecified subgroups for improvement in functional outcomes. Acute intracranial stenting appears to be a safe and effective rescue strategy in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke who failed MT. Randomized multicenter trials are warranted.

ObjectiveRenal function can modify the outcomes of large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke across stroke etiologies in disparate degrees. The presence of renal function deficit can also impair the pharmacokinetics of tirofiban. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the roles of renal function in determining efficacy and safety of intravenous tirofiban before endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO).MethodsThis study was a post hoc exploratory analysis of the RESCUE‐BT trial. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving functional independence (modified Rankin scale 0–2) at 90 days, and the primary safety outcome was the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH).ResultsAmong 908 individuals with available serum creatinine, decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) status was noted more commonly in patients with cardioembolic stroke (CE), while large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) was predominant in patients with normal renal function. In LAA with normal renal function, tirofiban was associated with higher rates of functional independence at 90 days (41.67% vs 59.80%, p = 0.003). However, for LVO patients with renal dysfunction, tirofiban did not improve functional outcomes for any of the etiologies (LAA, p = 0.876; CE, p = 0.662; others, p = 0.894) and significantly increased the risk of sICH among non‐LAA patients (p = 0.020). Mediation analysis showed tirofiban reduced thrombectomy passes (12.27%) and drug/placebo to recanalization time (14.25%) mediated its effects on functional independence.ConclusionThis present study demonstrated the importance of evaluating renal function before administering intravenous tirofiban among patients with LVO who are planned to undergo EVT.

Posterior cerebral arteries with acute ischemic strokes (PCA-AISs) comprise around 2% of all acute ischemic strokes and may result in significant long-term deficits. Current guidance regarding endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for PCA-AIS is insufficient as no published randomized trials exist. An analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database compared medical management versus EVT for PCA-AIS. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust for nonrandomization. The study included 19,655 patients. Before matching, the EVT cohort had significantly higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (10.21 vs. 4.67, p < 0.001), had lower rates of favorable functional outcomes, functional independence, and higher rates of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and inpatient mortality. After matching, no differences in functional outcomes were identified, but revealed a higher proportion of ICH in the EVT group (17.45% vs. 8.98%, p < 0.001). However, NIHSS subgroup analysis identified improved functional outcomes associated with the EVT group who presented with an NIHSS between 10 and 19 both in terms of rates of favorable functional outcomes (35.56% vs. 12.09%, p < 0.001) and rates of functional independence (26.67% vs. 9.34%, p < 0.01). On further investigation, the clinical benefit, in the NIHSS 10-19 subgroup, was driven by patients receiving EVT in combination with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). This analysis shows that current national practices utilize EVT for more severe PCA strokes. Clinical benefit was only detected in patients with moderate stroke severity (NIHSS 10-19) who were treated with combined EVT and IVT. Further work is needed to investigate the features of PCA-AIS that might benefit from EVT the most.

BackgroundMechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for anterior circulation proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke with salvageable tissue. Here, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 24...

Patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke who are transferred to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) often experience infarct growth. We aimed to investigate the clinical predictors of fast infarct growth and its effect on clinical outcomes. We retrospectively collected EVT data of patients with LVO transferred to our center between March 14, 2019, and June 28, 2022. The absolute rate of Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) decay was defined as (ASPECTS primary CT - ASPECTS repeat CT)/elapsed hours. The ratio of relative ASPECTS deterioration was defined as (ASPECTS primary CT - ASPECTS repeat CT)/ASPECTS primary CT. In the primary analysis, the study population was dichotomized into absolute slow progressors and absolute fast progressors using the median absolute rate of ASPECTS decay. Secondary analysis was also conducted using the median relative ASPECTS deterioration ratio, and the study population was categorized into relative fast progressors and relative slow progressors. Favorable outcome was defined as a 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 2. We included 309 patients: median age 72years (IQR 65-77); median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 14 (IQR 11-18). The median absolute rate of ASPECTS decay was 0.42 points/hour and the median relative ASPECTS deterioration ratio was 11.1%. Overall, fast infarct growth was independently associated with worse 90-day outcome (absolute rate of ASPECTS decay: OR = 3.395; 95% CI 1.844-6.250; P < 0.001; relative ASPECTS deterioration ratio: OR = 3.754; 95% CI 2.050-6.873; P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, fast infarct growth was independently associated with high admission NIHSS, proximal occlusions, and poor collateral status, while intravenous thrombolysis before transfer was negative with fast inter-hospital infarct growth. For patients with LVO stroke who are transferred from a PSC to CSC for EVT, the infarct growth rate is highly variable and is strongly associated with 90-day outcomes. Initiation of intravenous bridging therapy before transfer may limit the infarct growth during inter-hospital transfer.

Ultra-early improvement after endovascular thrombectomy and long-term outcome in anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is associated with considerable clinical benefits for patients after large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, EVT remains underused in Australia, particularly among the very elderly (aged ≥80 years). The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and clinical effectiveness of EVT vs standard medical management among very elderly patients using real-world, observational data. A modeled cost-effectiveness study was conducted from the Australian health care perspective. Data from a retrospective cohort of patients aged 80 years or older treated with EVT at 4 comprehensive stroke centers across Australia and New Zealand, as well as data from the International Stroke Perfusion Imaging Registry, were used to inform our economic analyses. The distribution of 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) outcomes after propensity score matching was used to inform a decision-analytic Markov model. Costs and utility data for calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were drawn from published sources. The primary outcome of this analysis was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in terms of cost per QALY gained for EVT compared with medical management. Uncertainty was evaluated with deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. A total of 548 patients (mean age 85.1 years and 296 women [54%]) were included to inform the propensity score matching analysis. After propensity score matching, the proportion of patients with favorable (mRS score ≤2) outcomes was higher for EVT vs standard care (37% vs 18%). Based on the modeled cost-effectiveness analysis comprising a hypothetical sample of 10,000 patients, EVT was estimated to prevent 471 deaths over a period of 15 years. On a per-patient basis, EVT was associated with a gain of 0.95 years of life and 0.97 QALYs at a net cost of AU$3,399. That is, from a health care perspective, EVT is cost-effective for very elderly patients with LVO stroke (ICER: $3,508 per QALY). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the model, with 100% of simulated ICERs falling below the commonly accepted Australian willingness-to-pay threshold of AU$50,000 per QALY. EVT is cost-effective and associated with considerable clinical benefits relative to standard medical management for very elderly patients with LVO stroke. Our findings support the provision of EVT to the very elderly.

IntroductionPatients with baseline disability account for up to one-third of stroke presentations. Despite growing evidence supporting their benefit from endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), there remains controversy in treatment selection. We compared...

Objective: To compare outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) presenting to a single primary stroke center (PSC). MT was performed either by a mobile interventional stroke team (MIST) on site or after interhospital transfer to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC). Background: MT has become standard of care in acute LVO. A majority of hospitals cannot perform MT on site, requiring patient transfer to a thrombectomy-capable center. Within a metropolitan multihospital health care system, utilization of a MIST shortens time to intervention, potentially leading to better outcomes and decreased cost of care. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all acute LVOs presenting to a PSC in Manhattan, NY, from September 2013 to February 2018. We selected patients who underwent MT on site or after transfer to a CSC. Outcomes were assessed by Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days. Results: MT was performed in 48 patients by one endovascular team; 37 patients for whom all data was available were selected for analysis. 28 MTs were performed on site by a MIST (group 1), and 9 patients were transferred to a CSC for intervention (group 2). Median age was 74.5 and 73 years respectively. In group 1, median NIHSS on presentation was 18 and median Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) was 9, compared to 17 and 10 respectively in group 2. Median door-to-puncture (DTP) time was 144.5 minutes and 233 minutes respectively (p&lt;0.05). In group 1, 82% had baseline mRS 0-2 (functional independence), compared to 36% at 90 days. In group 2, 100% had baseline mRS 0-2, and 22% at 90 days. TICI ≥2B was achieved in 89% in both groups. In group 1, 50% had complete reperfusion (TICI 3), compared to 11% in group 2. Conclusion: DTP times were significantly shorter in patients treated by a MIST. This group also had better reperfusion grades and a higher rate of functional independence, although statistical significance was not reached. Even though our study is limited by a small number of cases, the data indicates that in certain geographic areas, the utilization of a MIST may be associated with better outcomes in patients with stroke due to LVO.

IntroductionUnited States stroke systems are increasingly transitioning from alteplase (TPA) to tenecteplase (TNK). Real-world data on the safety and effectiveness of replacing TPA with TNK before large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke endovascular treatment (EVT) are lacking.MethodsFour Pennsylvania stroke systems transitioned from TPA to TNK during the study period 01/2020–06/2023. LVO stroke patients who received intravenous thrombolysis with TPA or TNK before EVT were reviewed. Multivariate logistic analysis was conducted adjusting for age, sex, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), occlusion site, last-known-well-to-intravenous thrombolysis time, interhospital-transfer and stroke system.ResultsOf 635 patients, 309 (48.7%) received TNK and 326 (51.3%) TPA prior to EVT. The site of occlusion was the M1 middle cerebral artery (MCA) (47.7%), M2 MCA (25.4%), internal carotid artery (14.0%), tandem carotid with M1 or M2 MCA (9.8%) and basilar artery (3.1%). A favorable functional outcome (90-day mRS ≤ 2) was observed in 47.6% of TNK and 49.7% of TPA patients (p = 0.132). TNK versus TPA groups had similar rates of early recanalization (11.9% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.259), successful endovascular reperfusion (93.5% vs. 89.3%, p = 0.627), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (3.2% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.218) and 90-day all-cause mortality (23.1% vs. 21.5%, p = 0.491).ConclusionsThis U.S. multicenter real-world clinical experience demonstrated that switching from TPA to TNK before EVT for LVO stroke resulted in similar endovascular reperfusion, safety, and functional outcomes.

IntroductionThe role of intravenous alteplase treatment for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke patients who ultimately undergo endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has been questioned in recent randomized trials. However, most patients...

ObjectiveIntracranial atherosclerotic disease-related large vessel occlusion (ICAD-LVO) is a prevalent stroke subtype among Asian populations. Characterized by dynamic intraprocedural reocclusion and underlying stenotic pathology, this condition poses distinct challenges for acute endovascular management. Contemporary guidelines universally recommend mechanical thrombectomy (MT) as first-line recanalization therapy for large vessel occlusion (LVO); however such recommendations derive predominantly from studies without etiological stratification. Consequently, optimal initial endovascular strategies for ICAD-LVO remain undefined despite its epidemiological significance in Asian cohorts.MethodsIn this multicenter retrospective cohort study, 161 patients with underlying ICAD-LVO who underwent endovascular therapy (June 2022–December 2024) were stratified by initial strategy: angioplasty/stenting (AS group, n = 94) or mechanical thrombectomy (MT group, n = 67). The primary outcome was 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 0–2). Secondary outcomes included successful recanalization (mTICI 2b–3), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), and mortality.ResultsAmong 161 included patients (94 AS vs. 67 MT), baseline characteristics were balanced except for a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia (p = 0.041), progressive stroke (p < 0.001), and tirofiban administration (p = 0.043) in the AS group. The initial AS approach achieved significantly higher rates of functional independence (63.8% vs. 47.8%; adjusted OR = 2.886, 95% CI: 1.290–6.736, p = 0.011) and reduced the need for rescue therapy (24.5% vs. 55.2%). Rates of successful recanalization (96.8% vs. 91.0%, p = 0.155), SICH (13.8% vs. 13.4%, p = 0.985), and 90-day mortality (14.9% vs. 13.4%, p = 0.784) did not differ significantly.ConclusionIn this multicenter retrospective cohort study, primary angioplasty/stenting was associated with superior clinical efficacy compared to mechanical thrombectomy as the initial approach for underlying ICAD-LVO. This approach showed higher rates of 90-day functional independence while maintaining a comparable safety profile. These findings support the concept of etiology-specific endovascular strategies; however, this approach requires confirmation in prospective randomized controlled trials.