Frequency, Determinants, and Outcomes of Emboli to Distal and New Territories Related to Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

• Published in: Stroke (1970) 2021-07, Vol.52 (7), p.2241-2249
• Main Authors: Wong, Gregory J., Yoo, Bryan, Liebeskind, David, Baharvahdat, Humain, Gornbein, Jeffrey, Jahan, Reza, Szeder, Viktor, Duckwiler, Gary, Tateshima, Satoshi, Colby, Geoffrey, Nour, May, Sharma, Latisha, Rao, Neal, Hinman, Jason, Starkman, Sidney, Saver, Jeffrey L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - surgery; Female; Humans; Intracranial Embolism - diagnostic imaging; Intracranial Embolism - etiology; Ischemic Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Ischemic Stroke - surgery; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - trends; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Cognitive Complications - diagnostic imaging; Postoperative Cognitive Complications - etiology; Prospective Studies; Registries; Thrombectomy - adverse effects; Thrombectomy - trends; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0039-2499; 1524-4628
• DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033377

Clot fragmentation and distal embolization during endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke may produce emboli downstream of the target occlusion or in previously uninvolved territories. Susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can identify both emboli to distal territories (EDT) and new territories (ENT) as new susceptibility vessel signs (SVS). Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can identify infarcts in new territories (INT). We studied consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging before and after thrombectomy. Frequency, predictors, and outcomes of EDT and ENT detected on gradient-recalled echo imaging (EDT-SVS and ENT-SVS) and INT detected on DWI (INT-DWI) were analyzed. Among 50 thrombectomy-treated acute ischemic stroke patients meeting study criteria, mean age was 70 (±16) years, 44% were women, and presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 15 (interquartile range, 8–19). Overall, 21 of 50 (42%) patients showed periprocedural embolic events, including 10 of 50 (20%) with new EDT-SVS, 10 of 50 (20%) with INT-DWI, and 1 of 50 (2%) with both. No patient showed ENT-SVS. On multivariate analysis, model-selected predictors of EDT-SVS were lower initial diastolic blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.02–1.16]), alteplase pretreatment (odds ratio, 5.54 [95% CI, 0.94–32.49]), and atrial fibrillation (odds ratio, 7.38 [95% CI, 1.02–53.32]). Classification tree analysis identified pretreatment target occlusion SVS as an additional predictor. On univariate analysis, INT-DWI was less common with internal carotid artery (5%), intermediate with middle cerebral artery (25%), and highest with vertebrobasilar (57%) target occlusions (P=0.02). EDT-SVS was not associated with imaging/functional outcomes, but INT-DWI was associated with reduced radiological hemorrhagic transformation (0% versus 54%; P