Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of preoperative ischemic brain lesion (IBL) volume, assessed by Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance brain imaging (DW-MRI) with RAPID® processing, and surgery timing in predicting post-operative neurological outcomes in symptomatic carotid stenosis (SCS) patients treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA).
Materials and methods: All patients with SCS who underwent CEA between January 2010 and June 2020 were considered. IBLs ipsilateral to the stenosis were identified in the preoperative magnetic resonance brain (MRI). The volume was quantified in mL and correlated with 30-day rates of stroke and stroke/death by χ2 and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results: One hundred thirty-four patients were surgically treated for SCS during the entire study period. CEA procedures were defined as emergent, urgent, or elective if performed within 48 hr, between 48 hr and 14 days, or after 14 days from symptoms onset, respectively. Cumulative new ipsilateral stroke rate was 4,5%, with a statistically higher neurological complications in emergent patients compared to urgent and elective patients (10,6%, 1,47% and 0% respectively, P 0,039). ROC curve analysis showed a volume of 10 mL was predictive of postoperative stroke with 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity. An IBL volume >10 mL was an independent risk factor for postoperative stroke. In fact, the perioperative neurological complication rate was significantly different in high-IBL volume patients (>10 mL) compared with low-IBL volume patients (<10 mL) (P 0,003) CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the optimal timing for CEA is between 48 hr and 14 days. Furthermore, the present study suggests that the presence of the IBL, by itself, is not definitively related with an unsatisfactory neurological outcome. However, an IBL higher than 10 mL should be as a reliable threshold value adverse neurological result in SCS patients.
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