Clinical Predictors for Functional Independence After Tissue-Window Guided Endovascular Thrombectomy

Abstract

Objective: Thrombectomy increases the survival rate of acute ischemic stroke patients corresponding to large vessel occlusion. This study aimed to determine clinical predictors for good outcomes in patients subjected to tissue window guided thrombectomy.

Methods: This study was performed at the stroke center of the First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were retrospectively collected, 90 days after endovascular thrombectomy. Collection was done within 6-24 hours after a patient was last seen in good condition. Binary logistic regression was used to establish the clinical predictors for functional independence. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine cutoff values for outcome predictors. P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results: Forty-seven patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 13 (27.7%) had last presenting stroke, 24 (51.1%) had wake-up stroke, and 10 (21.3%) had daytime unknown stroke onset. The median initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, infarct core volume, and ischemic penumbra volume were 15 (interquartile range [IQR] 11-18), 20 (IQR 8-36) mL, and 115 (IQR 81-176) mL, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patients with a lower initial NIHSS score, smaller ischemic penumbra, and no hemorrhagic transformation were more likely to have good outcomes. As shown by the receiver operator characteristic curves, the optimal thresholds of initial NIHSS score, ischemic penumbra, and infarct core were 14.5 (AUC: 0.867; P < 0.001), 109 mL (AUC: 0.841; P < 0.001), and 12.5 mL (AUC: 0.681; P = 0.036), respectively.

Conclusions: A lower initial NIHSS score, smaller ischemic penumbra, and lack of hemorrhagic transformation are significant independent predictors for good outcomes after a tissue-window based thrombectomy.

Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke; Endovascular recanalization; Good outcomes; Tissue window.