Predictors of response to endovascular treatment of posterior circulation stroke

Abstract

Background: Endovascular treatment is considered a reasonable approach for patients with acute posterior circulation stroke, but it remains uncertain which patients will benefit the most from it.

Objective: To find independent clinical and angiographic predictors of outcome after endovascular treatment for posterior circulation stroke.

Methods: We evaluated consecutive patients with acute posterior circulation stroke who underwent endovascular treatment in our comprehensive stroke center from January 2015 to December 2017. Good outcome was defined as a modified Rankin score of 0-3 at 90 days. Intracranial atheromatous disease was established on focal stenosis recorded during endovascular treatment. Associations were sought between a good outcome and clinical and angiographic factors. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to define independent outcome predictors.

Results: Forty-seven consecutive patients were included: mean age 70.9 ± 12.1 years, median admission NIHSS score, 16 (IQR: 8-30). On univariate analysis, age (p = 0.01), smoking (p = 0.04), hypertension (p = 0.03), successful reperfusion (p = 0.04), presence of extracranial atherosclerosis (p = 0.02), and absence of atherosclerosis (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with a good outcome. On multivariate analysis, age <70 years (odds ratio = 6.20, 95%CI 1.52-25.47, p = 0.01) and absence of intracranial atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 6.45, 95% CI 1.09-38.24, p = 0.04) were independently associated with a good outcome.

Conclusions: Pretreatment determination of the presence or absence of intracranial atherosclerosis can aid management of posterior circulation stroke patients. The absence of intracranial atherosclerosis may have value as a positive selection criterion for endovascular treatment in future trials. The presence of intracranial atherosclerosis could be used as a selection tool in future studies investigating new treatment protocols for this population.

Keywords: Endovascular treatment; Intracranial atherosclerosis; Posterior circulation stroke.