Intravenous Thrombolysis Treatment Research Articles

Treatment Efficacy Analysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Using In Silico Modeling Based on Machine Learning: A Proof-of-Principle.

Interventional neuroradiology is characterized by engineering- and experience-driven device development with design improvements every few months. However, clinical validation of these new devices requires lengthy and expensive randomized controlled trials. This contribution proposes a machine learning-based in silico study design to evaluate new devices more quickly with a small sample size. Acute diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MRI, segmented one-week follow-up imaging, and clinical variables were available for 90 acute ischemic stroke patients. Three treatment option-specific random forest models were trained to predict the one-week follow-up lesion segmentation for (1) patients successfully recanalized using intra-arterial mechanical thrombectomy, (2) patients successfully recanalized using intravenous thrombolysis, and (3) non-recanalizing patients as an analogue for conservative treatment for each patient in the sample, independent of the true group membership. A repeated-measures analysis of the three predicted follow-up lesions for each patient revealed significantly larger lesions for the non-recanalizing group compared to the successful intravenous thrombolysis treatment group, which in turn showed significantly larger lesions compared to the successful mechanical thrombectomy treatment group (p < 0.001). A groupwise comparison of the true follow-up lesions for the three treatment options showed the same trend but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.19). We conclude that the proposed machine learning-based in silico trial design leads to clinically feasible results and can support new efficacy studies by providing additional power and potential early intermediate results.

Intravenous thrombolytic treatment of a patient who had a stroke after COVID-19

Intravenous thrombolytic treatment of a patient who had a stroke after COVID-19

Decrease in intravenous thrombolysis and poor short-term functional prognosis for acute ischemic stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and purposeSince the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 (COVID-19), healthcare systems around the world have been hit to varying degrees. As a neurologist team, for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), we compared the situations of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) treatment from 2019 to 2020 to investigate the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the attendance and prognosis of the IVT patients.MethodsWe collected the messages of objects who had received IVT (Bridging surgery was ruled out) during 2019–2020. We analyzed differences in age, gender, time from onset to start IVT, door to needle time (DNT), pretreatment NIHSS score, postoperative NIHSS score, and so on. Statistical tests were also performed to respectively compare the discharged modified Rankin score (mRS) and discharged NIHSS score between two years.ResultsSince the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in Wenzhou, we observed a significant reduction of 24.7% (p = 0.023) from 267(2019) to 201(2020) of received IVT on hospital admission. We compared the DNT between two years and it reflected that the DNT (min) in 2020 was obviously longer than in 2019 (51.60 ± 23.80 vs 46.80 ± 21.90, p = 0.026). We also compared the discharged mRS, which reflected much more IVT patients in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic had a poor short-term functional prognosis (38.2% vs 29.2%, p = 0.043).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic caused the decrease of admissions and prolonged the time of the green channel for stroke, which led to the worse short-term prognosis of AIS patients during the pandemic. It’s necessary to ensure an effective green channel and provide adequate medical resources during the pandemic period to reduce the damage caused by COVID-19.

Effect of prior antiplatelet therapy on large vessel occlusion in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation newly initiated on apixaban

IntroductionWe evaluated the effect of prior antiplatelet therapy on large vessel occlusion (LVO) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) newly initiated on apixaban. MethodsPatients with acute LVO with acute stroke due to NVAF or stenosis with NVAF started on apixaban within 14 days of onset were enrolled. We compared incidence of major bleeding, cerebral hemorrhage, ischemic events, cerebral infarction, and all-cause mortality between patients with and without prior antiplatelet therapy for acute LVO. We also compared these events between patients who continued antiplatelet therapy after onset (continued group) and those who discontinued it (discontinued group). Hazard ratios were estimated after adjusting for confounders; interaction was evaluated considering intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular treatment (EVT) according to major bleeding. ResultsThe study comprised 686 eligible patients (excluded [n = 194]; enrolled [n = 492]). The antiplatelet group consisted of older patients (mean: 79 vs. 76 years; p = 0.006) and had a higher cumulative incidence of major bleeding (7.3% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.003). The incidence of ischemic events and all-cause mortality was similar between the groups. Among the 109 patients in the antiplatelet group, the cumulative incidence of major bleeding, ischemic events, and all-cause mortality was comparable between continued group (n = 26) and discontinued group (n = 83). There were no significant differences between groups with and without IVT/EVT. However, major bleeding occured more frequently in the antiplatelet group without IVT. ConclusionPrior antiplatelet therapy for LVO in patients with NVAF newly initiated on apixaban was associated with major bleeding, which was more frequent in the antiplatelet group without IVT.

Cerebral Perfusion Imaging for Intravenous Thrombolysis Treatment.

Intravenous thrombolysis is the cornerstone of acute ischemic stroke treatment. However, the benefits of recanalization and reperfusion must be balanced against the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. Time from symptom onset was previously the most important selection tool for identifying patients who would benefit from treatment without prohibitive risk for secondary hemorrhage. Enhanced techniques in noncontrast computed tomography followed by computed tomography and magnetic resonance perfusion imaging led to the expansion of treatment eligibility for intravenous thrombolysis. Perfusion imaging allows for more precise evaluation of tissue at-risk to identify patients who would benefit from treatment many hours beyond symptom onset.

NIHSS-the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score mismatch in guiding thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

ObjectiveThis study investigates the mismatch between the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the computed tomography (CT) findings measured by the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) for predicting the functional outcome and safety of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsThis prospective observational study includes patients with AIS who underwent CT imaging within 4.5 h of the onset of symptoms. Patients were divided into the NIHSS–ASPECTS mismatch (NAM)-positive and NAM-negative groups (group P and N, respectively). The clinical outcome was assessed using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Safety outcomes included progression, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), adverse events, clinical adverse events, and mortality.ResultsA total of 208 patients were enrolled in the study. In group P, IVT treatment was associated with a good functional outcome at 3 months (p = 0.005) and 1 year (p = 0.001). A higher percentage of patients with favorable mRS (0–2) (p = 0.01) and excellent mRS (0–1) (p = 0.011) functional outcomes was obtained at 1 year in group P with IVT treatment. Group N did not benefit from the same treatment (p = 0.352 and p = 0.480 at 3 months and 1 year, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in sICH, ICH, mortality rates, or other risks between the IVT and conventional treatment groups.ConclusionIVT treatment is associated with a good functional outcome in patients with NAM, without increasing the risks of sICH, ICH, mortality, or other negative outcomes. NAM promises to be an easily obtained indicator for guiding the treatment decisions of AIS.

Case-fatality, disability and recurrence rates after first-ever stroke: A study from bigdata observatory platform for stroke of China

BackgroundThere is currently a lack of data on stroke hospitalizations and long-term outcomes in China. Therefore, we investigated 12-month stroke fatality, disability, and recurrence rates after the first-ever stroke. MethodsThis was a prospective nationwide hospital-based cohort study. From August to September 2019, all patients with first-ever stroke (ischemic stroke [IS], intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH], and subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH]) and with symptom onset within 14 days from 232 hospitals were included. Case fatality, disability, and recurrence rates for one year were estimated. ResultsIn total, 36250 first-ever stroke patients from 194 hospitals were recruited (median age was 65(IQR, 56-73) years and 61.4 % were male). The rate of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment for IS were 9.5 % and 4.4 %, respectively. In-hospital death rate was 1.9 % (95 %CI: 1.7 %–2.0 %) for stroke inpatients, ranging from 0.9 % (0.8 %–1.1 %) for IS to 5.1 % (4.6 %–5.6 %) for ICH. The 12-month fatality rate was 8.6 % (95 %CI: 8.3 %–8.9 %) for discharged stroke patients, ranging from 6.0 % (5.7 %–6.3 %) for IS to 17.7 % (16.7 %–18.7 %) for ICH. The 12-month disability rate was 16.6 % (95 %CI: 16.2 %–17.0 %) for stroke survivors, ranging from 11.1 % (9.3 %–12.8 %) for SAH to 29.2 % (27.9 %–30.4 %) for ICH. The stroke recurrence rate was 5.7 % (5.5 %–6.0 %) for stroke survivors, ranging from 2.5 % (1.7 %–3.3 %) for SAH to 6.4 % (6.0 %–6.7 %) for IS. ConclusionOur results support the hypothesis that the prognosis of Chinese stroke patients appears to have improved and is not very bad.

Delayed Stroke Treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Background: Social distance, quarantine, pathogen testing, and other preventive strategies implemented during CO­VID-19 pandemic may negatively influence the management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment delay of AIS in China. Methods: This study included patients with AIS admitted in 2 hospitals in Jiangsu, China. Patients admitted before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (January 31, 2020, as officially announced by the Chinese government) were screened to collect sociodemographic data, medical history information, and symptom onset status from clinical medical records and compared for pre- (measured as onset-to-door time [ODT]) and posthospital delay (measured as door-to-needle time [DNT]). The influencing factors for delayed treatment (indicated as onset-to-needle time >4.5 h) were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 252 patients were included, of which 153 (60.7%) were enrolled before and 99 (39.3%) after the COVID-19 pandemic. ODT increased from 202 min (interquartile range [IQR] 65–492) before to 317 min (IQR 75–790) after the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.001). DNT increased from 50 min (IQR 40–75) before to 65 min (IQR 48–84) after the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.048). The proportion of patients with intravenous thrombolysis in those with AIS was decreased significantly after the pandemic (15.4% vs. 20.1%; p = 0.030). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that patients after COVID-19 pandemic, lower educational level, rural residency, mild symptoms, small artery occlusion, and transported by other means than ambulance were associated with delayed treatment. Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic has remarkable impacts on the management of AIS. Both pre- and posthospital delays were prolonged significantly, and proportion of patients arrived within the 4.5-h time window for intravenous thrombolysis treatment was decreased. Given that anti-COVID-19 measures are becoming medical routines, efforts are warranted to shorten the delay so that the outcomes of stroke could be improved.

Blood-brain barrier leakage and hemorrhagic transformation: The Reperfusion Injury in Ischemic StroKe (RISK) study.

In patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with reperfusion therapy we aimed to evaluate whether pretreatment blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage is associated with subsequent hemorrhagic transformation (HT). We prospectively screened patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis and/or endovascular treatment. Before treatment, each patient received computed tomography (CT), CT angiography, and CT perfusion. We assessed pretreatment BBB leakage within the ischemic area using the volume transfer constant (Ktrans ) value. Our primary outcome was relevant HT, defined as hemorrhagic infarction type 2 or parenchymal hemorrhage type 1 or 2. We evaluated independent associations between BBB leakage and HT using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, baseline stroke severity, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS)≥6, treatment type, and onset-to-treatment time. We enrolled 171 patients with available assessment of BBB leakage. The patients' mean (±SD) age was 75.5 (±11.8) years, 86 (50%) were men, and the median (interquartile range) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 18 (12-23). A total of 32 patients (18%) received intravenous thrombolysis, 102 (60%) underwent direct endovascular treatment, and 37 (22%) underwent both. Patients with relevant HT (N=31;18%) had greater mean BBB leakage (Ktrans 0.77 vs. 0.60; p=0.027). After adjustment in the logistic regression model, we found that BBB leakage was associated both with a more than twofold risk of relevant HT (odds ratio [OR]2.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.03-6.03 per Ktrans point increase; OR2.34; 95% CI1.06-5.17 for Ktrans values>0.63 [mean BBB leakage value]) and with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (OR4.30; 95% CI1.13-13.77 per Ktrans point increase). Pretreatment BBB leakage before reperfusion therapy was associated with HT, and may help to identify patients at risk of HT.

Decreased clot burden is associated with factor XIII Val34Leu polymorphism and better functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis

Intravenous thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator remains the mainstay treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), although endovascular treatment is becoming standard of care in case of large vessel occlusions (LVO). To quantify the thrombus burden in LVO, a semiquantitative CT angiography (CTA) grading system, the clot burden score (CBS) can be used. Here we aimed to study the association between CBS and various hemostasis parameters, and to evaluate which parameters are major determinants of thrombolysis outcome. In this single-centered prospective observational case-control study, 200 anterior circulation AIS patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis treatment without thrombectomy were enrolled: 100 AIS patients with LVO (CBS 0-9) and 100 age- and sex-matched AIS patients without LVO (CBS 10). Fibrinogen, α2-plasmin inhibitor, plasminogen, factor XIII and D-dimer were assessed from blood samples taken before and 24 h after thrombolysis, and FXIII-A Val34Leu was genotyped. CBS was calculated using admission CTA. Short-term outcomes were defined based on the change in NIHSS by day 7, long-term outcomes were assessed according to the modified Rankin scale at 3 months post-event. Poor outcomes were significantly more frequent in the CBS 0-9 group. Plasminogen activity on admission was significantly higher in the CBS 0-9 group. In a univariate analysis, significant protective effect of the Leu34 allele against developing larger clots (CBS 0-9) could be demonstrated (OR:0.519; 95%CI:0.298-0.922, p = 0.0227). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that CBS is an independent predictor of short- and long-term functional outcomes, while such effect of the studied hemostasis parameters could not be demonstrated. CBS was found to be a significant independent predictor of thrombolysis outcomes. FXIII-A Leu34 carrier status was associated with smaller thrombus burden, which is consistent with the in vitro described whole blood clot mass reducing effects of the allele, but the polymorphism had no effect on thrombolysis outcomes.

Predictive value of coagulation factor XIII on bleeding risk in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has a known risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to identify the predictive value of coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) on post-thrombolytic ICH risk in AIS patients. The study cohort included 69 diagnosed AIS patients undergoing IVT treatment within 24 hours of symptom onset. Blood samples taken on admission were analyzed for FXIII antigen levels with an automated latex enhanced immunoassay. Conventional coagulation parameters including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), and D-dimer (DD) were also tested. Of the 69 AIS patients, 23 (33.3%) developed post-thrombolytic ICH. Plasma FXIII levels showed a significant decrease, accompanied with elevated FIB and DD levels in AIS patients with post-thrombolytic ICH. Multivariable logistic regression (LR) revealed that FXIII and FIB were independently associated with post-thrombolytic ICH progression. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve of FXIII selected by the further forward logistic regression was 0.823 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.712-0.904], and the cutoff value of 76.6% yielded good sensitivity at 91.3% and good negative predictive value (NPV) at 93.9%. Our findings indicated that plasma FXIII level may be an independent determinant for predicting post-thrombolytic bleeding risk in AIS patients.

Is the weekend effect true in acute stroke patients at tertiary stroke center?

BackgroundThere is contradicting evidence on the outcome of emergency patients treated during weekends versus weekdays. We studied if outcome of ischemic stroke patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) differs according to the treatment time. MethodsOur retrospective study included consecutive patients receiving IVT within 4.5 h of stroke onset between June 1995 and December 2018 at the Helsinki University Hospital. The patients were compared based on the treatment initiation either during weekdays (Monday to Friday) or weekend (Saturday and Sunday). The primary outcome was 3-month mortality and secondary outcomes comprised 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Additional analyses studied the effect of IVT treatment according to non-office hours, time of day, and season. ResultsOf the 3980 IVT-treated patients, 28.0% received treatment during weekends. Mortality was similar after weekend (10.0%) and weekday (10.6%) admissions in the multivariable regression analysis (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.59–1.03). Neither 3-month mRS (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.86–1.12), nor the occurrence of sICH (4.2% vs 4.6%; OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.60–1.26) differed between the groups. No outcome difference was observed between the office vs non-office hours or by the time of day. However, odds for worse outcome were higher during autumn (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.04–1.35) and winter (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.01–1.30). ConclusionWe did not discover any weekend effect for IVT-treated stroke patients. This confirms that with standardized procedures, an equal quality of care can be provided to patients requiring urgent treatment irrespective of time.

The impact of COVID-19 on acute stroke care in Belgium.

A worldwide decline in stroke hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported. Information on stroke care during the pandemic in Belgium is lacking. This study aims to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on acute stroke care in eight Belgian stroke centers. This Belgian study is part of an international observational and retrospective study in 70 countries and 457 stroke centers. We compared volumes of COVID-19 and stroke hospitalizations, intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment rates, acute treatment time intervals and functional outcome at 90 days during the first wave of the pandemic to two control intervals (March–May 2019 and December–February 2020). From March 2020 to May 2020, 860 stroke patients were hospitalized. In the same time period, 2850 COVID-19 patients were admitted, of which 37 (1.3%) were diagnosed with a stroke. Compared to the months prior to the pandemic and the same time epoch one year earlier, stroke hospitalizations were reduced (relative difference 15.9% [p = 0.03] and 14.5% [p = 0.05], respectively). Despite a reduction in absolute volumes, there was no difference in the monthly proportion of thrombolysis or endovascular treatment provided to the overall stroke hospitalizations. Acute treatment time metrics did not change between COVID-19 pandemic and control time epochs. We found no difference in 90-day functional outcomes nor in mortality after stroke between patients admitted during the pandemic versus control periods. We found a decline in the volume of stroke hospitalizations during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. Stroke care quality parameters remained unchanged.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study in Southern China.

Objective To explore the associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and stroke by evaluating the clinical risk factors, characteristics, and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with and without type 2 DM. Methods A total of 1,156 AIS patients (including 410 with type 2 DM (AIS-DM group)) and 746 without type 2 DM (AIS-NDM group)) were included. Patients' demographics, auxiliary examinations, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results Among the included AIS patients, 35.46% had type 2 DM. The AIS-DM group had less males (59.76% versus 70.64%), less smokers (33.90% versus 41.96%), more patients with hypertension (72.93% versus 63.94%; p=0.002), higher triglyceride levels (42.93% versus 25.08%; p ≤ 0.01), and lower total cholesterol (147.06 mg/dl versus 175.31 mg/dl) than the AIS-NDM group. The proportion of patients with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) in the AIS-DM group was lower (77.56% versus 85.92%; p < 0.05) than that in the AIS-NDM group, and the proportion of patients with small arterial occlusions (SAO) in the AIS-DM group was higher (27.07% versus 13.67%; p < 0.05) than that in the AIS-NDM group. The mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission in the AIS-DM group was lower than that in the AIS-NDM group (4.39 versus 5.00; p=0.008), but there was no significant difference in the NIHSS score or the modified Rankin Scale score between the two groups at discharge. A total of 85 AIS patients underwent intravenous thrombolysis treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). The door-to-needle time (DNT) did not differ significantly between the groups (49.39 ± 30.40 min versus 44.25 ± 15.24 min; p=0.433). In addition, there were no significant differences in the baseline NIHSS score, 7-day NIHSS score, and mRS score at discharge between the groups. After intravenous thrombolysis with rtPA, the AIS-NDM group had better recovery (44.30% versus 29.20%; p=0.017) and a higher ratio of good treatment outcome at discharge (65.60% versus 54.20%; p=0.762). Conclusions Type 2 DM is associated with AIS and its risk factors, such as dyslipidemia and hypertension. Patients in the AIS-DM group had less LAA and smaller arterial occlusions, and DM could exacerbate the short-term clinical outcomes in AIS patients.

Stroke care during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain: the experience of Spanish stroke units

Background and purposeSpain has been heavily affected by COVID-19. Reallocation of resources for managing the outbreak might have caused a disruption in stroke care. This study analyses the impact on...

Safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolytic treatment in wake-up stroke: Experiences from a single center.

ObjectivesWake‐up stroke is an important clinical problem that may account for a quarter of all ischemic strokes. This study aimed to establish the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolytic treatment of wake‐up strokes by comparing it to the standard thrombolysis treatment in strokes with clear onsets and wake‐up strokes that did not receive reperfusion therapy.MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 95 patients with ischemic strokes who underwent thrombolytic treatment with alteplase, including nine patients with wake‐up strokes. The safety profile (mortality and intracranial bleeding) and efficacy (clinical and functional outcomes on admission, discharge, and 90 days after stroke onset) were evaluated.ResultsWhen assessed using the modified Rankin scale (mRs), the patients with wake‐up strokes had significantly more favorable functional outcomes on discharge when compared to those who received standard thrombolysis (p = .0289). No significant differences were noted when the favorable outcome rate (mRs score = 0–2) at three months post‐thrombolysis (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41–10.6; p = .3807) and safety outcomes (death during hospitalization: OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.03–9.11; p = .6295 and intracranial bleeding 24 hr after treatment: OR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.02–7.58; p = .5707) were compared between the two groups. The Cochran–Mantel–Haenchel shift analysis showed a significantly more favorable distribution of the mRs scores at three months after the stroke onset in the patients with wake‐up strokes who were treated with alteplase compared to those who did not receive thrombolysis (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.01–1.82; p = .0426).ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that in patients who awaken with stroke symptoms, intravenous thrombolytic treatment is a safe procedure that may lead to favorable outcomes. Further studies should be performed to increase the size of the group of patients with wake‐up strokes who can be treated with reperfusion therapy.

Endovascular therapy with or without intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke with tandem occlusion

BackgroundEndovascular therapy (EVT) is effective and safe in patients with tandem occlusion. The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to EVT in acute tandem occlusion is debatable.ObjectiveTo compare EVT alone...

The Natural History and Reperfusion Therapy Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke due to Isolated M2 Occlusions.

Objective Currently, the standard treatment modality for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting with isolated M2 occlusions is not specific. We therefore assessed the difference in treatment outcomes for patients with isolated M2 occlusions. Methods We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with AIS presenting with isolated M2 occlusions from October 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the treatments they received: no reperfusion therapy (NRT), intravenous thrombolysis treatment (IVT), and endovascular intervention (EVT), which comprised IVT in conjunction with EVT or EVT alone. The primary outcomes were improvements in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 24 hours after treatment compared with the baseline. The secondary efficacy outcome comprised a good outcome rate defined as a 90 − day mRS score ≤ 2, final infarct volume (FIV), 90-day mortality rate, and successful recanalization rate, which was defined as a modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score ≥ 2b. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and procedure-related complications. Results Seventy patients were enrolled and divided into 3 groups: the NRT group (n = 25), IVT group (n = 27), and EVT group (n = 18). Twenty-four-hour posttreatment NIHSS scores were substantially decreased by EVT compared with NRT (adjusted β -4.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.60 to -1.43; P = 0.003) or IVT (adjusted β, -3.61 [95% CI, -6.45 to -0.77]; P = 0.013). Compared with the outcomes observed after NRT, patients who received EVT were more likely to achieve lower 90-day mRS scores (adjusted β, -1.42 [95% CI, -2.66 to -0.63]; P = 0.007), higher good outcome rates (adjusted odds ratio, 8.73 [95% CI, 1.43-53.24]; P = 0.019), and smaller FIVs (adjusted β, -29.66 [95% CI, -59.73 to 0.42]; P = 0.048). The recanalization rate of EVT was high (88.89%), and procedure-related complications were rare (5.56%). Conclusions For acute, isolated M2 occlusions, EVT could dramatically and rapidly improve neurological deficits with high safety and effectiveness. These changes were observed at 24 hours after treatment and were maintained over the long term.

Reperfusion Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke with Active Cancer: A Meta-Analysis Aided by Machine Learning

ObjectivesWhile the prevalence of active cancer patients experiencing acute stroke is increasing, the effects of active cancer on reperfusion therapy outcomes are inconclusive. Thus, we aimed to compare the safety and outcomes of reperfusion therapy in acute stroke patients with and without active cancer. Materials and MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted for studies comparing the effects of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular treatment (EVT) in ischemic stroke patients with and without active cancer. The literature was screened using both a manual and machine learning algorithm approach. The outcomes evaluated were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), all-type intracerebral hemorrhage (aICH), successful recanalization, favorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, 0–2), and mortality. We calculated the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random-effects model from the included studies. ResultsSeven studies were analyzed in this meta-analysis. IVT (n = 1012) was associated with an increased risk of sICH (OR, 9.80; 95% CI, 3.19–30.13) in the active cancer group. However, no significant differences in aICH, favorable outcomes, and mortality were found between groups. Although sICH and successful recanalization in the EVT group (n = 2496) were similar, we observed fewer favorable outcomes (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33–0.93) and a high prevalence of mortality (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.89–4.47) in the active cancer group. ConclusionsReperfusion therapy may benefit selected patients with acute ischemic stroke with active cancer, considering the comparable clinical outcomes of IVT and procedure-related outcomes of EVT. These results should be cautiously interpreted and confirmed in future well-designed large-scale studies.

Computed Tomography-Based Imaging Algorithms for Patient Selection in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Computed tomography remains the most widely used imaging modality for evaluating patients with acute ischemic stroke. Landmark trials have used computed tomography imaging to select patients for intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment. This review summarizes the most important acute ischemic stroke trials, provides an outlook of ongoing studies, and proposes possible image algorithms for patient selection. Although evaluation with anatomic computed tomography imaging techniques is sufficient in early window patients, more advanced imaging techniques should be used beyond 6hours from symptoms onset to quantify the ischemic core and evaluate for the salvageable penumbra.