Single-Centre Experience with Patients Selection for Mechanical Thrombectomy Based on Automated Computed Tomography Perfusion Analysis-A Comparison with Computed TomographyCT Perfusion Thrombectomy Trials.

BACKGROUND

In randomized clinical trials, mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was proved to be a highly effective treatment of acute ischemic stroke which improved clinical outcomes. Some of the trials used automated computed tomography perfusion (CTP) analysis for selection of participants. We present a single-center experience with CTP selection and comparison with CTP trials.

METHODS

Data of consecutive MT patients (from January 2016 to December 2017) were retrospectively reviewed. All patients with multiphase CT angiography confirmed the presence of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion/s in the intracranial internal carotid artery and/or middle cerebral artery (M1 or M2) and with admission brain CTP analyzed by RAPID software were included into the analysis.

RESULTS

Sixty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (mean age was 70.1 ± 13.6 years, females 48.5%). At baseline, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 16 (IQR = 13-20), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) was 8 (IQR = 7-9), CTP core volume was 20 mL (IQR = 2-36), and CTP penumbra volume was 145.5 mL (IQR = 107-184). Time from stroke onset to imaging was 1 hour 32 minutes, time from stroke onset to reperfusion was 3 hours 50 minutes, and median time from CT to reperfusion was 1 hour 56 minutes. Modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b/3 was achieved in 42 patients (67.7%). Twenty-three patients (37%) had modified Rankin scale 0-2 at 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis of CTP-selected patients for MT supports clinical applicability of automated CTP analysis into everyday clinical practice.