Impact of leukoaraiosis on the infarct growth rate and clinical outcome in acute large vessel occlusion stroke after endovascular thrombectomy

Guangchen He; Hui Fang; Bo Xue; Liming Wei; Haitao Lu; Jiangshan Deng; Yueqi Zhu

doi:10.1177/23969873241226771

Impact of leukoaraiosis on the infarct growth rate and clinical outcome in acute large vessel occlusion stroke after endovascular thrombectomy

Eur Stroke J. 2024 Jan 17:23969873241226771. doi: 10.1177/23969873241226771. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Guangchen He¹, Hui Fang¹, Bo Xue², Liming Wei¹, Haitao Lu¹, Jiangshan Deng², Yueqi Zhu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

PMID: 38230536
DOI: 10.1177/23969873241226771

Abstract

Introduction: As a marker of chronic cerebral small vessel disease, leukoaraiosis (LA) was reported to impact the recruitment of collaterals in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We intended to explore the impact of LA on the infarct growth rate (IGR) and clinical outcome by impaired collateral development in AIS patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) who underwent endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).

Patients and methods: Two hundred thirty-six AIS patients who underwent EVT were retrospectively reviewed. The severity of LA was graded using the Fazekas scale with non-contrast CT. IGR was calculated by the acute core volume on CT perfusion divided by the time from stroke onset to imaging. The collateral status after LVO was assessed using the ASITN/SIR collateral scale. The clinical outcomes after EVT were evaluated using a modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The Alberta stroke program early CT score (ASPECTS), the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission, and the modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score after EVT were also included. Correlations between those factors were analyzed.

Results: Patients with severe LA had significantly larger core volume on CTP (p = 0.022) and lower collateral grade (p < 0.001). Faster IGR was significantly associated with higher LA severity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.02-2.33; p = 0.046), higher NIHSS (aOR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00-1.09; p = 0.032) and impaired collaterals (aOR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.27-4.03; p = 0.005). In mediation analysis, collaterals explained 33% of the effect of LA on fast IGR. There was correlation between the severity of LA and mRS (p = 0.007).

Discussion and conclusion: The increasing severity of LA is associated with impaired collateral status and fast infarct growth. These findings suggest that LA may become a predictive imaging biomarker for the likelihood of progression of tissue injury and clinical outcome after EVT in acute large vessel occlusion stroke.

Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke; collaterals; endovascular thrombectomy; infarct growth rate; leukoaraiosis.