Clinical–Radiological Severity Mismatch Phenomenon: Patients with Severe Neurological Deficits Without Matching Infarction on Computed Tomographic Scan

Abstract

The objective was to determine the long-term outcome of patients with severe persistent neurological deficits without a large infarction on computed tomographic (CT) scan. We analyzed the prospectively collected data as part of the randomized, placebo controlled trial in patients with ischemic stroke presenting within 3 hours of symptom onset. Volume of infarction was measured from CT scan acquired at 3 months. Favorable outcome defined by no significant or slight disability on a modified Rankin scale at 12 months. We determined the outcome of patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS score) ≥ 10 at 24 hours. Of the 277 patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 at 24 hours, 88 (32%) met the criteria of clinical-radiological severity mismatch. Compared with patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 with infarct volume ≥ 20 cc, the patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 and infarct volume <20 cc were older but there were no differences in the gender, race or vascular risk factors. Patients with clinical-radiological severity mismatch were more likely to have a favorable outcome at 12 months compared with those without mismatch (odd ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.5-12.6, P = .0063) after adjusting for potential confounders. We observed that approximately one-fourth of patients with severe neurological deficits have clinical-radiological severity mismatch. Such patients appear to have a high rate of favorable outcomes at 1 year.