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Endovascular Stroke Treatment: How Far Downstream Should We Go?

  • Clinical Investigation
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Abstract

Background

Endovascular thrombectomy has become the de facto standard in the treatment of large vessel occlusion. Previously, a correlation between good outcome and the occlusion site, measured by the ‘distance to thrombus’ (DT)—as the distance from the carotid T to the beginning of the thrombus—after thrombolysis could be shown. In the present study, we analyze the differences between the chances of a good outcome in respect of DT between patients treated endovascularly or intravenously.

Methods

A dual-center database analysis including patients with stroke due to occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was performed. Inclusion criteria were a completed treatment and full documentation of the clinical course. DT was measured in pre-treatment images. DT was correlated with the mRS at 90 days stratified according to the different treatment methods.

Results

A total of 280 patients could be included. We were able to show a correlation between the chances of good clinical outcome and the occlusion site measured by DT after i.v. thrombolysis. The outcome after endovascular treatment showed no correlation with DT (p = 0.227). After a DT of 26 mm, the chances of a good outcome after i.v. thrombolysis exceeded those after endovascular treatment.

Conclusion

In patients with MCA occlusion, the probability for a good outcome after endovascular treatment is independent of the occlusion site in contrast to the treatment with i.v. thrombolysis. If the occlusion occurred in the periphery of the M2 region (DT > 26 mm), i.v. thrombolysis alone was superior to endovascular treatment in achieving a good outcome.

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Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Author Contributions

BF, DL, JK participated in study design, data acquisition, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation. SW, CM, DP took part in study design and data acquisition. KTH and CZ contributed to study design and manuscript preparation.

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Author notes

  1. Benjamin Friedrich and Donald Lobsien both contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of diagnostic and interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 80675, Munich, Germany

    Benjamin Friedrich, Christian Maegerlein, David Pree, Claus Zimmer & Johannes Kaesmacher

  2. Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Donald Lobsien & Karl-Titus Hoffmann

  3. Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany

    Silke Wunderlich

Authors
  1. Benjamin Friedrich
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  2. Donald Lobsien
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Correspondence to Benjamin Friedrich.

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Friedrich, B., Lobsien, D., Wunderlich, S. et al. Endovascular Stroke Treatment: How Far Downstream Should We Go?. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 41, 55–62 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-017-1830-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-017-1830-y

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