Arturo Consoli

Effect of Endovascular Contact Aspiration vs Stent Retriever on Revascularization in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Large Vessel Occlusion: The ASTER Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance The benefits of endovascular revascularization using the contact aspiration technique vs the stent retriever technique in patients with acute ischemic stroke remain uncertain because of lack of evidence from randomized trials. Objective To compare efficacy and adverse events using the contact aspiration technique vs the standard stent retriever technique as a first-line endovascular treatment for successful revascularization among patients with acute ischemic stroke and large vessel occlusion. Design, Setting, and Participants The Contact Aspiration vs Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization (ASTER) study was a randomized, open-label, blinded end-point clinical trial conducted in 8 comprehensive stroke centers in France (October 2015-October 2016). Patients who presented with acute ischemic stroke and a large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation within 6 hours of symptom onset were included. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to first-line contact aspiration (n = 192) or first-line stent retriever (n = 189) immediately prior to mechanical thrombectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with successful revascularization defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2b or 3 at the end of all endovascular procedures. Secondary outcomes included degree of disability assessed by overall distribution of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days, change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 24 hours, all-cause mortality at 90 days, and procedure-related serious adverse events. Results Among 381 patients randomized (mean age, 69.9 years; 174 women [45.7%]), 363 (95.3%) completed the trial. Median time from symptom onset to arterial puncture was 227 minutes (interquartile range, 180-280 minutes). For the primary outcome, the proportion of patients with successful revascularization was 85.4% (n = 164) in the contact aspiration group vs 83.1% (n = 157) in the stent retriever group (odds ratio, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.68-2.10]; P = .53; difference, 2.4% [95% CI, −5.4% to 9.7%]). For the clinical efficacy outcomes (change in NIHSS score at 24 hours, mRS score at 90 days) and adverse events, there were no significant differences between groups. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation undergoing thrombectomy, first-line thrombectomy with contact aspiration compared with stent retriever did not result in an increased successful revascularization rate at the end of the procedure. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02523261

Impact of Modified TICI 3 versus Modified TICI 2b Reperfusion Score to Predict Good Outcome following Endovascular Therapy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The TICI score is widely used to evaluate cerebral perfusion before and after the endovascular treatment of stroke. Recent studies showing the effectiveness and safety of mechanical thrombectomy combine modified TICI 2b and modified TICI 3 to assess the technical success of endovascular treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine how much clinical outcomes differ between patients achieving modified TICI 2b and modified TICI 3 reperfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 222 consecutive patients with acute large intracranial artery occlusion of the anterior circulation having achieved modified TICI 2b or modified TICI 3 reperfusion after thrombectomy. The primary end point was the rate of favorable outcome defined as the achievement of a modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2 at 3 months. RESULTS: Patients with modified TICI 3 more often had favorable collateral circulation and atherosclerosis etiology, with a shorter time from onset to reperfusion than patients with modified TICI 2b (all P < .05). The number of total passes to achieve reperfusion was higher in the modified TICI 2b group (median, 2; interquartile range, 1–3, 1–9) versus (median, 1; interquartile range, 1–2, 1–8) in the modified TICI 3 group (P = .0002). Favorable outcome was reached more often for patients with modified TICI 3 than for those with modified TICI 2b (71.7% versus 50.5%, P = .001), with a similar difference when considering excellent outcome. In addition, patients with modified TICI 3 had a lower intracerebral hemorrhage rate (23.0% versus 45.0%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with modified TICI 3 reperfusion have better functional outcomes than those with modified TICI 2b. Given the improving reperfusion rates obtained with thrombectomy devices, future thrombectomy trials should consider modified TICI 2b and modified TICI 3 status separately.

Is Reperfusion Useful in Ischaemic Stroke Patients Presenting with a Low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and a Proximal Large Vessel Occlusion of the Anterior Circulation

Background: In population-based studies, patients presenting with minor or mild stroke symptoms represent about two-thirds of stroke patients, and almost one-third of these patients are unable to ambulate independently at the time of discharge. Although mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the standard of care for acute ischaemic stroke with proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation, the management of patients harbouring proximal occlusion and minor-to-mild stroke symptoms has not yet been determined by recent trials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of reperfusion on clinical outcome in low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) patients treated with MT. Methods: We analysed 138 consecutive patients with acute LVO of the anterior circulation (middle cerebral artery M1 or M2 segment, internal carotid artery or tandem occlusion) with NIHSS <8, having undergone MT in 3 different centres. Reperfusion was graded using the modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score and 3 grades were defined, ranging from failed or poor reperfusion (TICI 0, 1, 2A) to complete reperfusion (TICI 3). The primary clinical endpoint was an excellent outcome defined as a modified Rankin score (mRs) 0-1 at 3-months. The impact of reperfusion grade was assessed in univariate and multivariate analyses. The secondary endpoints included favourable functional outcome (90-day mRS 0-2), death and safety concerns. Results: Successful reperfusion was achieved in 81.2% of patients (TICI 2B, n = 47; TICI 3, n = 65). Excellent outcome (mRs 0-1) was achieved in 69 patients (65.0%) and favourable outcome (mRs ≤2) in 108 (78.3%). Death occurred in 7 (5.1%). Excellent outcome increased with reperfusion grades, with a rate of 34.6% in patients with failed/poor reperfusion, 61.7% in patients with TICI 2B reperfusion, and 78.5% in patients with TICI 3 reperfusion (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis adjusted for patient characteristics associated with excellent outcome, the reperfusion grade remained significantly associated with an increase in excellent outcome; the OR (95% CI) was 3.09 (1.06-9.03) for TICI 2B and 6.66 (2.27-19.48) for TICI 3, using the failed/poor reperfusion grade as reference. Similar results were found regarding favourable outcome (90-day mRs 0-2) or overall mRS distribution (shift analysis). Conclusion: Successful reperfusion is strongly associated with better functional outcome among patients with proximal LVO in the anterior circulation and minor-to-mild stroke symptoms. Randomized controlled studies are mandatory to assess the benefit of MT compared with optimal medical management in this subset of patients.

Mechanical Thrombectomy for Minor and Mild Stroke Patients Harboring Large Vessel Occlusion in the Anterior Circulation: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background and Purpose— Proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) is present in up to 30% of minor strokes. The effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in the subgroup of minor stroke with LVO in the anterior circulation is still open to debate. Data about MT in this subgroup of patients are sparse, and their optimal management has not yet been defined. The purpose of this multicenter cohort study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MT in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke (AIS) because of LVO in the anterior circulation, presenting with minor-to-mild stroke symptoms (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of <8). Methods— Multicenter cohort study involving 4 comprehensive stroke centers having 2 therapeutic approaches (urgent thrombectomy associated with best medical treatment [BMT] versus BMT first and MT if worsening occurs) about management of patients with minor and mild acute ischemic stroke harboring LVO in the anterior circulation. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. The primary end point was the rate of excellent outcome defined as the achievement of a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1 at 3 months. Results— Three hundred one patients were included, 170 with urgent MT associated with BMT, and 131 with BMT alone as first-line treatment. Patients treated with MT were younger, more often received intravenous thrombolysis, and had shorter time to imaging. Twenty-four patients (18.0%) in the medical group had rescue MT because of neurological worsening. Overall, excellent outcome was achieved in 64.5% of patients, with no difference between the 2 groups. Stratified analysis according to key subgroups did not find heterogeneity in the treatment effect size. Conclusions— Minor-to-mild stroke patients with LVO achieved excellent and favorable functional outcomes at 3 months in similar proportions between urgent MT versus delayed MT associated with BMT. There is thus an urgent need for randomized trials to define the effectiveness of MT in this patient subgroup.

Endovascular treatment of carotico-cavernous fistulas with acrylic glue: a series of nine cases

IntroductionInjuries to the internal carotid artery close to the cavernous sinus may result in a fistulous connection between the artery and the venous sinus. Symptoms include pulsatile tinnitus, intracranial bruit, ophthalmological symptoms, and risk of intracerebral hematoma in cases of cortical venous reflux. Previous treatment strategies have included detachable latex balloons, coils, covered stents, or combinations thereof. Today, detachable latex balloons are phased out or withdrawn from several markets. Acrylic glue is a proven stable material used for embolization of arteriovenous shunts. It is a precise, fast, and cost-effective method of endovascular embolization, and it does not cause artifacts on MRI or MRA.MethodsWe treated nine patients suffering from direct fistulas with acrylic glue without any permanent neurological adverse events.ResultsFour patients were treated with glue embolization of the fistula without occlusion of the parent artery. Five patients with long-lasting symptomatology, large tears in the ICA, and with full collateral cerebral circulation were treated with glue embolization of the fistula and sacrifice of the ICA antero- and retrograde via the ICA and the posterior communicating artery.ConclusionWe suggest acrylic glue to be added to the panel of embolic materials used to treat CCFs.

Contact Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke With M2 Occlusion in the ASTER Randomized Trial (Contact Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization)

Background and Purpose— Middle cerebral artery M2-segment occlusions represent an important subgroup of patients with acute stroke with large-vessel occlusion. The safety of mechanical thrombectomy, especially contact aspiration (CA), in such distal intracranial occlusions is still under debate. We compared reperfusion, adverse events, neurological recovery, and functional outcome of patients with isolated M2 occlusions according to the first-line strategy mechanical thrombectomy devices (CA versus stent retriever [SR]). Methods— This is a post hoc analysis of the ASTER trial (Contact Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization). The primary outcome was successful reperfusion at the end of all endovascular procedures, defined as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) scores 2b/3. Secondary outcomes were mTICI 2c/3 and mTICI 3, 90-day functional outcome, assessed with the modified Rankin Scale score. Safety outcomes included 90-day mortality and any symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Results— Seventy-nine patients were included: 48 were allocated to the CA group and 31 to the SR group. There were no significant differences between CA and SR groups in reperfusion after all endovascular procedures regarding mTICI 2b/3 (89.6% versus 83.9%; P=0.36), mTICI 2c/3 (54.2% versus 54.8%; P=0.90), and mTICI 3 (35.4% versus 41.9%; P=0.36) rates. There were no significant differences between CA and SR groups in 90-day modified Rankin Scale ⩽2 rate (54.4% versus 50.0%; P=0.84), 24-hour change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (mean difference, −3.9; 95% confidence interval, −7.9 to 0.01), and Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography score (mean difference, 0.9; 95% confidence interval, −0.1 to 2.0) scores. Safety parameters were well balanced between the 2 groups except for a higher 90-day mortality rate in the CA group (19.6% versus 3.3%; P=0.078). Conclusions— First-line mechanical thrombectomy with CA compared with SR did not result in an increased successful revascularization rate in patients with acute stroke with isolated M2 occlusion.

Mechanical thrombectomy for minor and mild stroke patients harboring large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation: A multicenter case control study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) is present in up to 30% of minor strokes. There is no proven effectiveness of MT in the subgroup of minor stroke with LVO in the anterior circulation and data about mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in this subgroup of patients are sparse, with optimal management of these patients being yet not definitely addressed. The purpose of this case-control study was to evaluate MT in patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and LVO in the anterior circulation, presenting with minor to mild stroke symptoms (NIHSS<8). MATERIAL AND METHODS Case-control study involving 4 comprehensive stroke centers, having two approaches regarding management of minor and mild AIS patients harboring LVO in the anterior circulation. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. The primary end point was the rate of excellent outcome defined as the achievement of a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1 at 3 months. RESULTS In total, 301 patients were included, 170 with MT associated to best medical management (BMM, case group) and 131 with BMM alone as first line treatment (control group). Patients treated with MT were younger, more often received intravenous thrombolysis, and had shorter time to imaging. Twenty-four patients (18.3%) belonging to the medical group had rescue MT due to neurologic worsening. Overall, excellent outcome was achieved in 64.5% of patients, with no difference between the two groups. Stratified analysis according to key subgroups did not find heterogeneity in the treatment effect size. CONCLUSION Patients having underwent MT or BMM achieve excellent and favorable functional outcome at 3 months in similar proportions. However, baseline characteristics were different between the 2 groups, highlighting the urgent need for randomized clinical trials in this subset of patients.