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Background: Literature has highlighted sex-based differences in the natural course of stroke and in response to treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Objectives: We aimed to compare the management and outcome of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) among women and men on a French registry based on a federated network of emergency physicians and neurologists. Method: We included 2,790 patients received tPA between 2010 and 2016 from the stroke centers in the RESUVal area. We provided age-adjusted analysis and multivariate models for determining the role of sex in the outcome measures. Results: After age-adjustment, women presented more moderate to severe stroke at admission with more proximal occlusions. Among tPA eligible patients, the therapeutic strategy and in-hospital hemorrhagic complications were proportionally identical whatever the sex. The total ischemic time from onset symptom to thrombolysis did not differ from women to men. Age-adjusted 3-month mortality did not differ between women and men, and the determinants of mortality were age (relative risk [RR] 1.56 [1.37–1.78], p < 0.0001), proximal occlusion (RR 2.5 [1.88–3.33], p < 0.0001), and at least one complication (RR 2.43 [1.89–3.13], p < 0.0001). The determinants of poor functional outcome at 3 months were the sex (RR 1.22 [1.01–1.48] for women, p = 0.0385) and the occurrence of onset symptom in rural landscape (RR 1.26 [1.03–1.55], p = 0.0219) compared to urban landscape. Conclusions: We provided an exhaustive overview and real-life professional practices conditions in thrombolyzed AIS. Despite a later prehospital management in neurovascular units and more severe strokes at admission, women and men had both similar outcomes at hospital discharge and in 3-month survival, but women were associated to worst functional outcome at 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain atrophy has shown a protective effect on the risk of early neurological deterioration (END) related to malignant edema in patients with hemispheric infarction but could be deleterious on the outcome. Aims: We aimed to assess whether brain atrophy has an impact on the risk of END and on the outcome in severe ischemic strokes after intravenous (IV) thrombolysis. Methods: From a prospective thrombolysis registry, 137 patients who had a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≥15, MRI at admission, and IV thrombolysis were included. Relative cerebral volume was calculated. END was defined as a ≥2-points deterioration 72-h NIHSS and a good outcome as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2 at 3 months. A multiple logistic regression analysis with a stepwise backward procedure was performed. Results: END and a good outcome were observed, respectively, in 20 (14.6%) and 48 (37.5%) patients. In univariate analysis, predictors of END included age (p = 0.049), diabetes (p = 0.041), and parenchymal hemorrhage (p = 0.039). In multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.018) was significantly associated with END. Brain atrophy was not associated with END even in subgroup analysis according to the baseline infarct size. In univariate analysis, age (p = 0.003), prestroke mRS (p = 0.002), hypertension (p = 0.006), baseline NIHSS (p = 0.002), END (p = 0.002), proximal occlusion (p = 0.006), and recanalization at 24 h (p < 0.001) were associated with a good outcome. Only baseline NIHSS (p = 0.006) was associated with a good outcome after adjustment. Conclusions: We did not find any impact of brain atrophy on the risk of END and the outcome at 3 months in severe ischemic strokes after IV thrombolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severity of vascular damage of white matter may predict hemorrhagic transformation (HT). We assess the relationship between leukoaraiosis (LA) severity and the type of hemorrhagic transformation in elderly patients treated with thrombolysis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 180 consecutive ischemic stroke patients aged over 75 years. LA severity was graded according to the Fazekas scale, and acute diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI) lesion volumes were semi-automatically outlined. Predictors of hemorrhagic infarction (HI) and parenchymal hemorrhage (PH) were identified using logistic regression analysis and exact multinomial logistic analysis. Results: HT occurred in 31 patients (17 %). Baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS; p = 0.008), severe LA ( p = 0.02), and diffusion lesion volume ( p = 0.02) were predictors of HT in univariable logistic regression. Adjusted to lesion volume and baseline NIHSS score, exact multinomial logistic analysis showed that severe LA was the only independent predictor of parenchymal hemorrhage ( p = 0.03). Conclusion: In elderly patients, LA severity better predicts parenchymal hemorrhage than infarct size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We evaluated the management, outcome and haemorrhagic risk in a cohort of ischaemic stroke patients with mild symptoms treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within the first 4.5 h. Methods: We analysed data from a prospective stroke thrombolysis registry. A total of 1,043 patients received tPA between 2010 and 2014 in the 5 stroke units of the RESUVAL stroke network (Rhône Valley, France). Among them, 170 patients had a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score = 4 (minor group: MG) before tPA and 873 patients had a NIHSS score >4. Results: A high rate (77%) of excellent outcome (3-month-modified Rankin Scale score = 1) was observed in the MG. No symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage occurred and the rate of any haemorrhagic transformation was 5%. Fifty-four percent of the MG patients had visible arterial occlusion before tPA. Patients of the MG were less likely to be transported by Emergency Medical Services and to be directly admitted to the stroke unit or to imaging. Median delays from onset to admission, from admission to imaging and from onset to tPA were longer in the MG. Conclusion: Our data provided evidence of safety and suggested potential benefit of thrombolysis in patients with NIHSS score ≤ 4. A majority of these patients exhibited arterial occlusion before thrombolysis. Most often, patients with mild stroke are not given priority in terms of the mode of transport, direct admission to stroke unit and rapid imaging, resulting in an increased delay from onset to thrombolysis. Health system improvements are needed to provide all suspected stroke victims equal access to imaging and treatment on an emergency basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]