Search

Background: There are limited therapeutic options in cases of failed reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction [mTICI] score < 2b) after stent-retriever and/or aspiration based endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke. Despite the absence of data supporting its use, rescue therapy (balloon angioplasty and/or stent implantation) is often utilized in such cases. Studies are limited to large vessel occlusions, while the outcomes and complications after rescue therapy in medium/distal vessel occlusions (MDVOs) have not been reported. This study aims to report the outcomes of rescue therapy in MDVO stroke patients., Methods: We performed an analysis of the "Blood pressure and Antiplatelet medication management after reScue angioplasty after failed Endovascular treatment in Large and distal vessel occlusions with probable IntraCranial Atherosclerotic Disease" (BASEL ICAD) retrospective registry. All MDVO stroke patients were included in the analysis., Results: Out of the 718 registry patients, 87 (12.1%) presented with an MDVO. Fifty-six patients (64.4%) showed an occlusion of the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery. Rescue stenting was performed in 78 patients (89.7%) while balloon angioplasty alone was performed in 9 patients (10.3%). Successful reperfusion (mTICI score ⩾ 2b) was achieved in 73 (83.9%) patients after rescue therapy. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) occurred in 8 patients (9.2%) and post-treatment stent occlusion in 12 patients (13.8%). Ninety days mortality was 20.7%. Twenty-eight patients (32.2%) achieved functional independence at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale 0-2)., Conclusion: Rescue therapy with stenting and/or balloon angioplasty in patients undergoing EVT for isolated MDVO with suspected underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease is an effective reperfusion strategy but is associated with complications and poor functional outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Victor Schulze-Zachau: discloses speaker fees from Medtronic Inc. (money paid to institution). V.S.-Z. is recipient of research grants from Basel University, Bangerter-Rhyner- Stiftung Basel and Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel.Thanh N Nguyen: discloses Associate Editor of Stroke; advisory board of Aruna Bio, Brainomix.Kazutaka Uchida: reports lecturer’s fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Stryker, and Medtronic.Marios-Nikos Psychogios : discloses unrestricted grants from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Phenox GmbH, Medtronic Inc., Rapid Medical Inc., and Penumbra Inc for the DISTAL trial, grant for SPINNERS trial from Siemens Healthineers AG (money paid to institution) and the following speaker fees: Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Medtronic Inc., Penumbra Inc., Acandis GmbH, Phenox GmbH, Rapid Medical Inc. and Siemens Healthineers AG (money paid to institution).Other authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Background: Stent-assisted coiling (SAC) is a well-established method for treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. In this multicenter, retrospective case series we evaluated SAC with a new low-profile, laser-cut stent with an antithrombogenic hydrophilic polymer coating (pEGASUS-HPC) for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms., Methods: Patients treated with pEGASUS-HPC SAC for one or more intracranial aneurysms were retrospectively included. Clinical, imaging, and procedural parameters as well as clinical and imaging follow-up data were recorded., Results: We treated 53 aneurysms in 52 patients in six neurovascular centers between August 2021 and November 2022. Thirty-seven patients (69.8%) were female. Mean age was 57 (±11.7) years. Twenty-nine patients were treated electively, 23 in the acute phase (22 with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and 1 with a partially thrombosed aneurysm causing ischemic events). One intraprocedural thromboembolic event and three postprocedural ischemic complications occurred in two (8.7 %) of the SAH patients and in one of the elective patients (3.45%). Overall aneurysm occlusion was Raymond Roy (RR) I in 36 (69.2%), RR II in 9, and RR III in 9 cases. Follow-up imaging was available for 23 patients after an average of 147.7 (±59.6) days demonstrating RR I occlusion in 22 (95.5%) and RR II in 1 patient., Conclusion: SAC with the pEGASUS-HPC stent system demonstrates rates of periprocedural safety and effectiveness that are comparable with previously reported series for stent-assisted coil embolization., Competing Interests: Competing interests: All authors: phenox GmbH organized online meetings of the centers during the initiation of the work. DL: phenox – travel expenses, speaker honoraria (money paid to institution). MH: Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Cerenovus, Stryker, Rapid Medical, phenox – consulting fees; Penumbra – speaker honoraria; Medtronic – steering committee “Inspire” Study. FE: did not disclose competing interests. AB: none. CJM: none. DB: phenox, Acandis, Stryker, Vesalio – consulting fees; Acandis – speaker honoraria; Acandis – travel expenses. ED: none. DF: Medtronic, Cerenovous, Microvention, Penumbra, Stryker, Balt USA, Seimens, Mentice, Neurogami, Rapid.AI, Rapid Medical, Q’apel Medical, Arsenal Medical, phenox, Scientia, NVMed, Perfuze, Vesalio – consulting fees; Medtronic, Cerenovous, Microvention, Penumbra, Stryker, Balt USA, Q’apel Medical – speaker honoraria; Medtronic, Cerenovous, Microvention, Penumbra, Stryker, Balt USA, Seimens, Mentice, Neurogami, Rapid.AI, Rapid Medical, Q’apel Medical, Arsenal Medical, phenox, Scientia, NVMed, Perfuze, Vesalio – travel expenses; Scientia, MENTICE, Neurogami, NVMed, Perfuze – leadership role; Scientia, Perfuze, NVMED, Mentice, Neurogami – stock options. MG: phenox, Microvention, Balt – consulting; phenox – speaker honoraria. CP: none. LC: none. MD: none. PK: Medtronic, Stryker, Microvention – consulting fees; Stryker, Oxford Heartbeat – grants. JK: phenox – travel expenses, speaker honoraria; phenox, Microvention – consulting fees (money paid to institution). AN: none., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Background: Tirofiban is administered for the treatment of aneurysms in cases of thromboembolic complications, as well as in cases of acute stenting or flow-diverter implantation required within the scope of aneurysm treatment. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of tirofiban in this group of patients., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing aneurysm treatment and receiving peri-interventional tirofiban administration at our institution between 2009 and 2019., Results: A total of 105 patients were included, with 61% women and 39% men (mean age = 53 years, IQR: 44-60 years). Sixty-seven patients underwent emergency aneurysm treatment, and thirty-eight were treated electively. Hemorrhagic events occurred in 22% (15/67) of the patients treated acutely, with 7.46% (5/67) exhibiting symptoms. Patients undergoing elective aneurysm treatment experienced no hemorrhagic events (p = 0.002). Among the 35 patients who required an external ventricular drain (EVD), 22.86% (8/35) developed EVD-related hemorrhages; however, none were symptomatic (p = 0.007). Of the five patients who required a craniotomy, two experienced significant bleeding, and one experienced non-significant craniotomy-related bleeding (p = 0.20)., Conclusion: Tirofiban may be safe for use during peri-interventional complications or emergency stenting in aneurysm treatment. However, caution is necessary when craniotomy is required. In elective aneurysm treatments, administering Tirofiban in response to periprocedural complications appears to be safe., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: R. Garayzade, A. Berlis, T.T. Arndt, C. Wolfert, B. Sommer, G. Müller and C.J. Maurer declare that they have no competing interests. Ethical standards: For this article no studies with human participants or animals were performed by any of the authors. This retrospective study was approved by the ethics committee of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (study approval number 21-0218). For this type of study informed consent is not required., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Challenges to revascularization of large vessel occlusions (LVOs) persist. Current stent retrievers have limited effectiveness for removing organized thrombi. The NeVa device is a novel stent retriever designed to capture organized thrombi within the scaffold during retrieval., Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of revascularization of acute LVOs with the NeVa device., Methods: Prospective, international, multicenter, single-arm, Investigational Device Exemption study to evaluate the performance of the NeVa device in recanalizing LVOs including internal carotid artery, M1/M2 middle cerebral artery, and vertebrobasilar arteries, within 8 hours of onset. Primary endpoint was rate of expanded Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia (eTICI) score 2b-3 within 3 NeVa passes, tested for non-inferiority against a performance goal of 72% with a -10% margin. Additional endpoints included first pass success and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2. Primary composite safety endpoint was 90-day mortality and/or 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH)., Results: From April 2021 to April 2022, 139 subjects were enrolled at 25 centers. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 16 (IQR 12-20). In the primary analysis population (n=107), eTICI 2b-3 within 3 NeVa passes occurred in 90.7% (97/107; non-inferiority P<0.0001; post hoc superiority P<0.0001). First pass eTICI 2b-3 was observed in 73.8% (79/107), with first pass eTICI 2b67-3 in 69.2% (74/107) and eTICI 2c-3 in 48.6% (52/107). Median number of passes was 1 (IQR 1-2). Final eTICI 2b-3 rate was 99.1% (106/107); final eTICI 2b67-3 rate was 91.6% (98/107); final eTICI 2c-3 rate was 72.9% (78/107). Good outcome (90-day mRS score 0-2) was seen in 65.1% (69/106). Mortality was 9.4% (13/138) with sICH in 5.0% (7/139)., Conclusions: The NeVa device is highly effective and safe for revascularization of LVO strokes and demonstrates superior first pass success compared with a predicate performance goal., Trial Registration Number: NCT04514562., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AJY: consultant: Penumbra, Cerenovus, Vesalio, Zoll Circulation, Philips Neurovascular; individual stocks/stock options: Nicolab; ownership interest: Insera Therapeutics, Galaxy Therapeutics; research funding (principal investigator (PI) or named investigator): Medtronic, Cerenovus, Penumbra, Stryker, Genentech. LS: consultant: Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Stryker; research funding (PI or named investigator): Philips. AH: consultant: Medtronic, Microvention, Stryker, Penumbra, Cerenovus, Genentech, GE Healthcare, Scientia, Balt, Viz.ai, Insera therapeutics, Proximie, NeuroVasc, NovaSignal, Vesalio, Rapid Medical, Imperative Care. AS: consultant: Microvention, Stryker, Vesalio. AHS: consultant: Amnis Therapeutics, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston Scientific, Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc., Cardinal Health 200, LLC, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Inc., Cerenovus, Cerevatech Medical, Inc; inidividual stocks/stock options: Adona Medical, Inc., Amnis Therapeutics, Bend IT Technologies, Ltd., BlinkTBI, Inc, Borvo Medical, Inc., Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Inc., Cerevatech Medical, Inc., Cognition Medical, Collavidence, I; other; Cerenovus EXCELLENT and ARISE II Trial; Medtronic SWIFT PRIME, VANTAGE, EMBOLISE and SWIFT DIRECT Trials; MicroVention FRED Trial; CONFIDENCE Study; MUSC POSITIVE Trial; Penumbra 3D Separator Trial, Research Funding (PI or named investigator); co-investigator for NIH - 1R01EB030092-01, Project Title: High speed angiography at 1000 frames per second; Mentor for Brain Aneurysm Foundation Carol W. Harvey Chair of Research, Sharon Epperson Chai. SG: Consultant; Stryker, Microvention, Medtronic. TRM: Advisor; Carpl AI. MTF: advisor; Cerenovus; research funding (PI or named investigator): Medtronic Neurovascular; researcher: Stryker Neurovascular, Cerenovus, Rapid Medical. DCH: consultant; Stryker Neurovascular, Cerenovus, Chiesi USA, Brainomix, Poseydon Medical; individual stocks/stock options: VizAI and Motif; other: Jacobs Institute/Medtronic, Vesalio., Frontiers in Neurology. MIC: advisor: Celt/Vasorum; consultant: Microvention, Medtronic, Imperative Care, Q'Apel; individual stocks/stock options: Imperative Care, Celt/Vasorum, Synchron, Endostream, Cerebrotech, Q'Apel, RIST, Three Rivers Medical, Neuolutions, Radical Medical, Tulavi, viseon, VMT, Vastrax, Serenity Medical. MF: consultant: Cerenovus, Balt, Jacobs Institute, Kai Medical, Oculus; research funding (PI or named investigator): Vesalio, Genentech, Siemens. MS: consultant: Vesalio., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy is a cornerstone treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO), yet the optimal technique remains debated. The SOFIA/SOFIA PLUS catheter has emerged as a promising tool for direct aspiration thrombectomy., Purpose: This prospective multi-center study, adhering Good-Clinical-Practice guidelines, aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the SOFIA/SOFIA PLUS catheter for direct aspiration as a first-line treatment technique in patients with acute anterior circulation LVO., Materials and Methods: Between 10/2017 and 12/2021, 246 consecutive patients presenting with AIS due to anterior circulation LVO were enrolled from 14 European centers. Primary treatment with SOFIA catheters was performed within 6 h of symptom onset. Clinical and radiological data were collected, and statistical analyses were conducted., Results: The mean age of the included patients was 71.6 ± 13.9 years, with 44.7% being male. Primary aspiration achieved complete recanalization in 72.8% of patients, with functional independence observed in 63.8% after 90 days. Secondary outcomes included a median NIHSS of 4 at 24 h post-procedure, median ASPECTS of 7 on follow-up imaging, and a mortality rate of 24.4% at 90 days. No device malfunctions were observed, and the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 4.4%., Conclusion: Primary aspiration with the SOFIA/SOFIA PLUS catheter demonstrates favorable safety and efficacy profiles in the treatment of anterior circulation LVO. These findings support the utilization of this technique as a first-line approach in mechanical thrombectomy for AIS, contributing to the growing body of evidence endorsing the effectiveness of direct aspiration thrombectomy in stroke management., Competing Interests: GT has received compensation by the University Heidelberg for activities as member of the CEC within the study, and fees as consultant or lecturer from Acandis, Alexion, Amarin, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, BristolMyersSquibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Portoly, Stryker outside this study. GM reports consulting fees from Microvention Europe, Stryker Neurovascular, Balt SAS, Sim and Cure and paid lectures from Medtronic, Phenox, Cerenovus, Bracco. All of these were outside this study. AP is the principal investigator of the SEALANT study sponsored by Microvention. MM received research grants from Acandis, Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Phenox, Stryker* (*industry payments are made to the research fund of the institution), receives payment or honoraria for lectures from Balt, Medtronic, Stryker* (*industry payments are made to the research fund of the institution). SESAME was an investigator-initiated study (IIT). A grant for conducting the study was provided by Microvention. However, Microvention did not exert any influence on the study’ design. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Neuberger, Marnat, Barreau, Pitrone, Caragliano, Killer-Oberpfalzer, Pfaff, Maurer, Berlis, Bokkers, Uyttenboogaart, Sourour, Clarençon, Wodarg, Cognard, Bohner, Trenkler, Spelle, Weber, Nouri, Bonekamp, Thomalla, Fiehler, Bendszus and Möhlenbruch.)

Introduction: Thrombectomy complications remain poorly explored. This study aims to characterize periprocedural intracranial vessel perforation including the effect of thrombolysis on patient outcomes., Patients and Methods: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, consecutive patients with vessel perforation during thrombectomy between January 2015 and April 2023 were included. Vessel perforation was defined as active extravasation on digital subtraction angiography. The primary outcome was modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. Factors associated with the primary outcome were assessed using proportional odds models., Results: 459 patients with vessel perforation were included (mean age 72.5 ± 13.6 years, 59% female, 41% received thrombolysis). Mortality at 90 days was 51.9% and 16.3% of patients reached mRS 0-2 at 90 days. Thrombolysis was not associated with worse outcome at 90 days. Perforation of a large vessel (LV) as opposed to medium/distal vessel perforation was independently associated with worse outcome at 90 days (aOR 1.709, p  = 0.04) and LV perforation was associated with poorer survival probability (HR 1.389, p  = 0.021). Patients with active bleeding >20 min had worse survival probability, too (HR 1.797, p  = 0.009). Thrombolysis was not associated with longer bleeding duration. Bleeding cessation was achieved faster by permanent vessel occlusion compared to temporary measures (median difference: 4 min, p  < 0.001)., Discussion and Conclusion: Vessel perforation during thrombectomy is a severe and frequently fatal complication. This study does not suggest that thrombolysis significantly attributes to worse prognosis. Prompt cessation of active bleeding within 20 min is critical, emphasizing the need for interventionalists to be trained in complication management., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: V. S.-Z. discloses speaker fees from Medtronic Inc. (money paid to institution). M.R.L. discloses unrestricted educational grants from Medtronic and Stryker; consulting for Medtronic, Stereotaxis, Metis Innovative and Aeaean Advisers; equity interest in Proprio, Fluid Biomed, Stroke Diagnostics, Hyperion Surgical, Apertur; editorial board of Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery; data safety monitoring board of Arsenal Medical. M.-N.P. discloses unrestricted grants from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Phenox GmbH, Medtronic Inc., Rapid Medical Inc., and Penumbra Inc for the DISTAL trial, grant for SPINNERS trial from Siemens Healthineers AG (money paid to institution) and the following speaker fees: Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Medtronic Inc., Penumbra Inc., Acandis GmbH, Phenox GmbH, Rapid Medical Inc. and Siemens Healthineers AG (money paid to institution).

Purpose: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is the predominant method for the irradiation of resection cavities after resection of brain metastases (BM). Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with 50 kV x-rays is an alternative way to irradiate the resection cavity focally. We have already reported the outcome of our first 40 IORT patients treated until 2020. Since then, IORT has become the predominant cavity treatment in our center due to patients´ choice., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of all patients who underwent resection of BM and IORT between 2013 and August 2023 at Augsburg University Medical Center (UKA)., Results: We identified 105 patients with 117 resected BM treated with 50 kV x-ray IORT. Median diameter of the resected metastases was 3.1 cm (range 1.3 - 7.0 cm). Median applied dose was 20 Gy. All patients received standardized follow-up (FU) including three-monthly MRI of the brain. Mean FU was 14 months, with a median MRI FU for patients alive of nine months. Median overall survival (OS) of all treated patients was 18.2 months (estimated 1-year OS 57.7%). The observed local control (LC) rate of the resection cavity was 90.5% (estimated 1-year LC 84.2%). Distant brain control (DC) was 61.9% (estimated 1-year DC 47.9%). Only 16.2% of all patients needed WBI in the further course of disease. The observed radio necrosis rate was 2.6%., Conclusion: After 117 procedures IORT still appears to be a safe and appealing way to perform cavity RT after neurosurgical resection of BM with low toxicity and excellent LC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Vessel perforation during thrombectomy is a severe complication and is hypothesized to be more frequent during medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) thrombectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence and outcome of patients with perforation during MeVO and large vessel occlusion (LVO) thrombectomy and to report on the procedural steps that led to perforation., Methods: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, data of consecutive patients with vessel perforation during thrombectomy between January 1, 2015 and September 30, 2022 were collected. The primary outcomes were independent functional outcome (ie, modified Rankin Scale 0-2) and all-cause mortality at 90 days. Binomial test, chi-squared test and t -test for unpaired samples were used for statistical analysis., Results: During 25 769 thrombectomies (5124 MeVO, 20 645 LVO) in 25 stroke centers, perforation occurred in 335 patients (1.3%; mean age 72 years, 62% female). Perforation occurred more often in MeVO thrombectomy (2.4%) than in LVO thrombectomy (1.0%, p <0.001). More MeVO than LVO patients with perforation achieved functional independence at 3 months (25.7% vs 10.9%, p =0.001). All-cause mortality did not differ between groups (overall 51.6%). Navigation beyond the occlusion and retraction of stent retriever/aspiration catheter were the two most common procedural steps that led to perforation., Conclusions: In our cohort, perforation was approximately twice as frequent in MeVO than in LVO thrombectomy. Efforts to optimize the procedure may focus on navigation beyond the occlusion site and retraction of stent retriever/aspiration catheter. Further research is necessary in order to identify thrombectomy candidates at high risk of intraprocedural perforation and to provide data on the effectiveness of endovascular countermeasures., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Data on impact of COVID-19 vaccination and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy are scarce. Addressing this subject, we report our multicenter experience., Methods and Results: This was a retrospective analysis of patients with COVID-19 and known vaccination status treated with mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke at 20 tertiary care centers between January 2020 and January 2023. Baseline demographics, angiographic outcome, and clinical outcome evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge were noted. A multivariate analysis was conducted to test whether these variables were associated with an unfavorable outcome, defined as modified Rankin Scale score >3. A total of 137 patients with acute ischemic stroke (48 vaccinated and 89 unvaccinated) with acute or subsided COVID-19 infection who underwent mechanical thrombectomy attributable to vessel occlusion were included in the study. Angiographic outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were similar (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction ≥2b: 85.4% in vaccinated patients versus 86.5% in unvaccinated patients; P =0.859). The rate of functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score, ≤2) was 23.3% in the vaccinated group and 20.9% in the unvaccinated group ( P =0.763). The mortality rate was 30% in both groups. In the multivariable analysis, vaccination status was not a significant predictor for an unfavorable outcome ( P =0.957). However, acute COVID-19 infection remained significant (odds ratio, 1.197 [95% CI, 1.007-1.417]; P =0.041)., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated no impact of COVID-19 vaccination on angiographic or clinical outcome of COVID-19-positive patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy, whereas worsening attributable to COVID-19 was confirmed.

Purpose: Diagnostic cerebral catheter angiography is used to assess a variety of neurovascular pathologies especially in patients before and after endovascular neurointerventional treatment. In many centers diagnostic cerebral angiographies are performed with the patient staying for one night in the hospital because there are not yet sufficient data on the safety of ambulatory cerebral angiography. At the same time hospitals face a growing demand to perform ambulatory medical procedures., Methods: A total of 426 ambulatory diagnostic cerebral angiographies were retrospectively analyzed. Technical details of the angiographies were analyzed to identify procedural risk factors., Results: Out of 426 patients 14 (3.3%) had some form of complication, 3 developed minor transient neurological symptoms, 1 patient developed Quincke's edema probably as an adverse reaction to contrast agent, 1 patient had an asymptomatic carotid dissection and 1 had a fall of unknown etiology. Of the 14 complications 8 were puncture site complications with 1 re-bleeding, 1 dissection, and 6 minor complications, 421 punctures were femoral, 3 radial and 2 brachial. Out of 333 patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after angiography 21 showed focal diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions but none of these lesions were symptomatic. The rate of DWI lesions was significantly higher in selectively angiography territories than in other territories. The use of a Simmons 2 catheter significantly increased the rate of DWI lesions (p = 0.047), whereas 3D rotational angiography did not (p = 0.55). The rate of DWI lesions per selectively accessed vessel was 4.6% with a higher rate in the anterior than in the posterior circulation., Conclusion: Diagnostic cerebral catheter angiography can be safely performed in an ambulatory setting., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Emergent stenting of the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) in stroke patients requires antiplatelet therapy to prevent in-stent thrombosis with a higher risk of intracranial haemorrhage., Aim of the Study: Assess the efficacy and safety of emergent carotid stenting with intravenous tirofiban in acute ischemic stroke patients., Methods: Primary endpoint: symptomatic hemorrhage. Secondary endpoints: 90-day functional outcome and mortality., Results: Of the 62 patients, 21 (34%) received tirofiban as a single antiplatelet, and 41 (66%) received combined therapy. Premedication with anticoagulants and antiplatelets was significantly more frequent in the tirofiban-only group. The rate of symptomatic haemorrhage was significantly lower in the tirofiban-only group than in the combined group (4.8% vs. 27%, p = 0.046). The patients with tirofiban alone had a significantly better functional outcome at day 90 than the combined group (52% vs. 24%, p = 0.028). Mortality was equal (24%) in both groups. Pre-interventional NIHSS score (p = 0.003), significant blood pressure fluctuations (p = 0.012), tandem occlusion (p = 0.023), and thrombolysis (p = 0.044) showed relevant influence on the rate of symptomatic hemorrhage in the entire patient cohort., Conclusions: A single antiplatelet therapy with tirofiban regardless of the premedication may improve the functional outcome in patients with stroke due to acute extracranial carotid lesion and emergent carotid stenting with lower rates of serious intracranial haemorrhage. For patients with high pre-interventional NIHSS score, tandem occlusion and after pre-interventional thrombolysis, caution is advised. Additionally, strict blood pressure monitoring should be conducted during the first 72 h after intervention., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The periprocedural antithrombotic regimen might affect the risk-benefit profile of emergent carotid artery stenting (eCAS) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to tandem lesions, especially after intravenous thrombolysis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of antithrombotics following eCAS., Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus from January 1, 2004 to November 30, 2022 for studies evaluating eCAS in tandem occlusion. The primary endpoint was 90-day good functional outcome. Secondary outcomes were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, in-stent thrombosis, delayed stent thrombosis, and successful recanalization. Meta-analysis of proportions and meta-analysis of odds ratios were implemented., Results: 34 studies with 1658 patients were included. We found that the use of no antiplatelets (noAPT), single antiplatelet (SAPT), dual antiplatelets (DAPT), or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) yielded similar rates of good functional outcomes, with a marginal benefit of GPI over SAPT (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.35, P heterogeneity =0.31). Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression excluded a significant impact of intravenous thrombolysis and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS). We observed no increase in symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) with DAPT or GPI compared with noAPT or SAPT. We also found similar rates of delayed stent thrombosis across groups, with acute in-stent thrombosis showing marginal, non-significant benefits from GPI and DAPT over SAPT and noAPT., Conclusions: In AIS due to tandem occlusion, the periprocedural antithrombotic regimen of eCAS seems to have a marginal effect on good functional outcome. Overall, high intensity antithrombotic therapy may provide a marginal benefit on good functional outcome and carotid stent patency without a significant increase in risk of sICH., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In this anthropomorphic head phantom study, samples containing blood and contrast agent with concentrations ranging from 0 to 6 mg iodine per milliliter and another set of samples without blood for reference were scanned with a photon-counting detector CT using a standard cranial protocol. It was demonstrated that photon-counting detector CT can reliably distinguish hemorrhage and contrast media, including density determination of the latter. The technology promises to add value in several neuroimaging applications., (© 2024 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Background: Endovascular embolization is a feasible treatment for cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs). New embolic agents aim to improve the success of DAVF embolization., Objective: To assess the safety, efficacy, and short-term outcome of the treatment of DAVFs using the new liquid embolic agent Squid., Methods: The LIQUID study is a prospective, observational multicenter study on the treatment of high-grade (Cognard type ≥3) DAVFs with the embolic agent Squid. The primary outcome measures were safety (ie, morbidity and mortality), as well as the occlusion rate 90 to 180 days after treatment., Results: In eight centers, 53 patients (mean age 59.8 years, 22.6% female) were treated in 55 treatment sessions. Of the DAVFs, 56.6% were Cognard type III, 41.5% type IV, and 18.9% were ruptured. Squid 18 was used in 83.6% and Squid 12 in 32.7% of the treatments. The overall rate of intraprocedural or postprocedural adverse events (AEs) was 18.2%. Procedure-related AEs resulting in permanent morbidity were observed in 3.6%. One patient (1.8%) died unrelated to the procedure due to pulmonary embolism. The final complete occlusion rate at 90 to 180 days was 93.2%. After a mean follow-up of 5.5 months, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was stable or improved in 93.0%. In one of the patients, worsening of the mRS score was related to the procedure (1.8%)., Conclusion: Squid is a safe and effective liquid embolic agent for the treatment of high-grade DAVFs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DFV reports consultancy for Medtronic and payed lectures for Cerenovus, and a research grant by MicroVention (unrelated to this work). TB reports payment for lectures and presentations from Stryker, Penumbra, and support for attending meeting and/or travel from Phenox, Microvention, and Stryker in the last 3 years. ABe reports proctoring for Microvention, Stryker, and Medtronic; payments for lectures for Stryker, Phenox and Penumbra; and board fees for CEC (Phenox) and Bayer. SM reports consultancy for Stryker, Medtronic, Acandis GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH (unrelated to study) and a travel grant by Balt (unrelated to study). TL has proctored and consulted for CERUS, Stryker, Phenox, Acandis, Medtronic, Pfizer and Microvention within the past three years but has no direct conflict of interest in the realm of this study. MB reports the following conflicts of interest outside the present work: board membership: DSMB Vascular Dynamics; consultancy: Roche, Guerbet, Codman; grants/grants pending: DFG, Hopp Foundation, Novartis, Siemens, Guerbet, Stryker, Covidien; payment for lectures (including service on speakers bureaus): Novartis, Roche, Guerbet, Teva, Bayer, Codman. MAM has received consulting honoraria, speaker honoraria, and travel support outside this work from Codman, Covidien/Medtronic, MicroVention, Phenox, and Stryker. The other authors declared no specific conflict of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Perimesencephalic nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (NASAH) is a rare type of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), usually associated with minor complications compared to aneurysmal SAH. Up to date, data is scarce and consensus on therapeutic management and follow-up diagnostics of NASAH is often missing. This survey aims to evaluate the clinical management among neurosurgical departments in Germany. 135 neurosurgical departments in Germany received a hardcopy questionnaire. Encompassing three case vignettes with minor, moderate and severe NASAH on CT-scans and questions including the in-hospital treatment with initial observation, blood pressure (BP) management, cerebral vasospasm (CV) prophylaxis and the need for digital subtraction angiography (DSA). 80 departments (59.2%) answered the questionnaire. Whereof, centers with a higher caseload state an elevated complication rate (Chi 2  < 0.001). Initial observation on the intensive care unit is performed in 51.3%; 47.5%, 70.0% in minor, moderate and severe NASAH, respectively. Invasive BP monitoring is performed more often in severe NASAH (52.5%, 55.0%, 71.3% minor, moderate, severe). CV prophylaxis and transcranial doppler ultrasound (TCD) are performed in 41.3%, 45.0%, 63.8% in minor, moderate and severe NASAH, respectively. Indication for a second DSA is set in the majority of centers, whereas after two negative ones, a third DSA is less often indicated (2nd: 66.2%, 72.5%, 86.2%; 3rd: 3.8%, 3.8%, 13.8% minor, moderate, severe). This study confirms the influence of bleeding severity on treatment and follow-up of NASAH patients. Additionally, the existing inconsistency of treatment pathways throughout Germany is highlighted. Therefore, we suggest to conceive new treatment guidelines including this finding., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

The use of stents is well established in the treatment of broad-based intracranial aneurysms. The aim of this study is to report on safety, feasibility and midterm follow-up of the new LVIS EVO braided stent for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. All consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysms who were treated with the LVIS EVO stent in two high volume neurovascular centers were retrospectively enrolled in this observational study. Clinical and technical complications, angiographic outcome and clinical short-term and midterm results were evaluated. The study included 112 patients with 118 aneurysms. 94 patients presented with incidental aneurysms, 13 patients with acute SAH and 2 patients with acute cranial nerve palsy. For 100 aneurysms a jailing technique was used, re-crossing of the stent was performed in 3 cases. For the residual 15 cases the stent was placed as a bail-out or as a second step. Immediate complete occlusion was observed in 85 aneurysms (72%). Midterm follow-up was available for 84 patients with 86 aneurysms (72.9%). One stent showed asymptomatic complete occlusion on follow-up imaging, in all other cases no in-stent stenosis was observed. The rate of complete occlusion was 79.1% at 6 months and 82.2% at 12-18 months. Midterm follow-up data of this retrospective observational cohort of two neurovascular centers corroborates the safety profile of the LVIS EVO device for treatment of ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infection which can affect the central nervous system. In this study, we sought to investigate associations between neuroimaging findings with clinical, demographic, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters, pre-existing conditions and the severity of acute COVID-19., Materials and Methods: Retrospective multicenter data retrieval from 10 university medical centers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria between February 2020 and September 2021. We included patients with COVID-19, acute neurological symptoms and cranial imaging. We collected demographics, neurological symptoms, COVID-19 severity, results of cranial imaging, blood and CSF parameters during the hospital stay., Results: 442 patients could be included. COVID-19 severity was mild in 124 (28.1%) patients (moderate n = 134/30.3%, severe n = 43/9.7%, critical n = 141/31.9%). 220 patients (49.8%) presented with respiratory symptoms, 167 (37.8%) presented with neurological symptoms first. Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) was detected in 70 (15.8%), intracranial hemorrhage (IH) in 48 (10.9%) patients. Typical risk factors were associated with AIS; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy and invasive ventilation with IH. No association was found between the severity of COVID-19 or blood/CSF parameters and the occurrence of AIS or IH., Discussion: AIS was the most common finding on cranial imaging. IH was more prevalent than expected but a less common finding than AIS. Patients with IH had a distinct clinical profile compared to patients with AIS. There was no association between AIS or IH and the severity of COVID-19. A considerable proportion of patients presented with neurological symptoms first. Laboratory parameters have limited value as a screening tool., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Intracranial rescue stent angioplasty is a bailout strategy for acute stroke patients in cases of unsuccessful endovascular thrombectomy due to underlying atherosclerotic stenosis. However, there is no consensus on a preprocedural and intraprocedural antiplatelet regimen. The aim of this single-centre study was to compare the safety and efficacy of emergency stenting in patients exhibiting intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis-related acute large-vessel occlusion with or without peri-interventional intravenous infusion of tirofiban., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 78 patients who were treated with rescuestent angioplasty between 2010 and 2019 due to acute ischaemic stroke. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who received peri-interventional intravenous tirofiban and those who did not receive tirofiban. We compared clinical safety and functional outcomes in both treatment groups with symptomatic haemorrhage as the primary endpoint. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between tirofiban and outcome measures., Results: Thirty-seven patients were treated with intravenous tirofiban (47.4%), and 41 patients did not receive intravenous tirofiban (52.6%). Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the two groups in the rate of symptomatic haemorrhage (16.2% in the tirofiban group versus 14.6% in the control group, p = 0.847). The 3-month mortality (21.6% in the tirofiban group versus 17.1% in the control group, p = 0.611) and good functional outcomes according to the modified Rankin scale (45.9% versus 34.1%, p = 0.289) were comparable., Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the application of tirofiban for rescue stenting after failed mechanical thrombectomy is safe., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (NASAH) is rare and mostly benign. However, complications such as cerebral vasospasm (CV), delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), or post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (HC) may worsen the prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of these complications comparing perimesencephalic (PM) and non-perimesencephalic (NPM) SAH. Monocentric, retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with NASAH from 01/2010 to 01/2021. Diagnosis was set only if vascular pathologies were excluded in at least one digital subtraction angiography, and NASAH was confirmed by cranial computed tomography (cCT) or lumbar puncture (LP). One hundred patients (62 female) with a mean age of 54.9 years (27-84) were identified. Seventy-three percent had a World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grading scale score I, while 9% were WFNS score IV or V at the time of admission. SAH was diagnosed by cCT in 86%, in 14% by lumbar puncture. Twenty-five percent necessitated short-term CSF diversion by extraventricular drainage or lumbar drainage, whereof 7 suffered from long-term HC treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS). One patient without a short-term CSF drainage developed long-term HC. Ten percent developed CV, four of whom received intraarterial spasmolysis. Radiological DCI was diagnosed in 2%; none of these correlated with CV. Despite a mortality of 3% occurring solely in NPM SAH, the analyzed complication rate was comparable in both groups. We observed post-hemorrhagic complications in 35% of cases during the first 3 weeks after bleeding, predominantly in patients with NPM SAH. For this reason, close observation and cranial imaging within this time may be indicated not to overlook these complications., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Does focal cavity radiotherapy after resection of brain metastasis "spare" whole-brain radiotherapy, which is associated with toxicity for patients, through the complete course of their disease without compromising long-term local control of the brain?, Methods: We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of patients who underwent adjuvant focal cavity radiotherapy between 2014 and 2021 at our center., Results: A total of 83 patients with 86 resected brain metastases were analyzed. 64% had singular, 36% two to four brain metastases. In cases with multiple metastases, omitted lesions were treated with radiosurgery. Median follow-up was 7.3 months (range 0-71.2 months), 1‑year overall survival rate was 57.8% (95% CI 44.9-68.8%). Radiotherapy was administered with a median biologically effective dose (α/β 10) surrounding the planning target volume of 48 Gy (range 23.4-60 Gy). Estimated 1‑year local control rate was 82.7% (95% CI 67.7-91.2%), estimated 1‑year distant brain control rate was 55.7% (95% CI 40.5-68.4%), estimated 1‑year leptomeningeal disease rate was 16.0% (95% CI 7.3-32.9%). Eleven distant brain recurrences could be salvaged with radiosurgery. In the further course of disease, 14 patients (17%) developed disseminated metastatic disease in the brain. Estimated 1‑year free of whole-brain radiotherapy rate was 72.3% (95% CI 57.1-82.9%). All applied treatments led to an estimated 1‑year neuro-control rate of 79.1% (95% CI 65.0-88.0%), estimated 1‑year radionecrosis rate was 23% (95% CI 12.4-40.5%)., Conclusion: In our single-center study, focal cavity radiotherapy was associated with high local control. In three out of four patients, whole-brain radiotherapy could be avoided in the complete course of disease, using radiosurgery as salvage approach without compromising neuro-control., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical condition with high recurrence rates. Repeated microbleedings from fragile neo-vessels supplied by peripheral branches of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) are believed to be responsible for the growth and recurrence of CSDH. Thus, MMA embolization might be a promising method to prevent re-bleedings and recurrences. This study aims to assess the efficacy, complication rates, and mid-term outcome of MMA embolization with or without burr hole irrigation compared with burr hole irrigation alone., Methods: Patients diagnosed with CSDH who underwent MMA embolization and/or surgical treatment were retrospectively recruited to this single-center study. The outcome variables were defined as treatment-related complications, clinical outcome at discharge, rate of revision surgery, and CT findings during the follow-up period., Results: A total of 132 patients with CSDH were included in the study. The use of antiplatelet/anticoagulant medication was significantly higher in the combined treatment and embolization group (p<0.001). A trend towards fewer revision surgeries was found in the group of patients who received MMA embolization combined with burr hole irrigation (p=0.083). Follow-up was available for 73 patients (55.3%) with a mean follow-up period of 3.4±2.2 months. Eight patients (15.1%) of the surgery group showed hematoma re-accumulation and needed surgical rescue, whereas only one patient (5.0%) of the combined treatment group needed revision surgery. In all patients treated with only MMA embolization, complete hematoma resolution was found., Conclusion: MMA embolization is a safe and efficacious minimal invasive adjuvant and/or alternative procedure for the treatment of CSDH with a reduced recurrence rate., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The importance of an A1 aplasia remains unclear in stroke patients. In this work, we analyze the impact of an A1 aplasia contralateral to an acute occlusion of the distal internal carotid artery (ICA) on clinical outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy at 12 tertiary care centers between January 2015 and February 2021 due to an occlusion of the distal ICA. Functional A1 aplasia was defined as the absence of A1 or hypoplastic A1 (>50% reduction to the contralateral site). Functional independence was measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS ≤ 2). Results: In total, 81 out of 1068 (8%) patients had functional A1 aplasia contralateral to distal ICA occlusion. Patients with functional contralateral A1 aplasia were more severely affected on admission (median NIHSS 18, IQR 15−23 vs. 17, IQR 13−21; aOR: 0.672, 95% CI: 0.448−1.007, p = 0.054) and post-interventional ischemic damage was larger (median ASPECTS 5, IQR 1−7, vs. 6, IQR 3−8; aOR: 1.817, 95% CI: 1.184−2.789, p = 0.006). Infarction occurred more often within the ipsilateral ACA territory (20/76, 26% vs. 110/961, 11%; aOR: 2.482, 95% CI: 1.389−4.437, p = 0.002) and both ACA territories (8/76, 11% vs. 5/961, 1%; aOR: 17.968, 95% CI: 4.979−64.847, p ≤ 0.001). Functional contralateral A1 aplasia was associated with a lower rate of functional independence at discharge (6/81, 8% vs. 194/965, 20%; aOR: 2.579, 95% CI: 1.086−6.122, p = 0.032) and after 90 days (5/55, 9% vs. 170/723, 24%; aOR: 2.664, 95% CI: 1.031−6.883, p = 0.043). Conclusions: A functional A1 aplasia contralateral to a distal ICA occlusion is associated with a poorer clinical outcome.

Purpose: External-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the predominant method for localized brain radiotherapy (LBRT) after resection of brain metastases (BM). Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) with 50-kV x‑rays is an alternative way to focally irradiate the resection cavity after BM surgery, with the option of shortening the overall treatment time and limiting normal tissue irradiation., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of all patients who underwent neurosurgical resection of BM and 50-kV x‑ray IORT between 2013 and 2020 at Augsburg University Medical Center., Results: We identified 40 patients with 44 resected BM treated with 50-kV x‑ray IORT. Median diameter of the resected metastases was 2.8 cm (range 1.5-5.9 cm). Median applied dose was 20 Gy. All patients received standardized follow-up (FU) including 3‑monthly MRI of the brain. Mean FU was 14.4 months, with a median MRI FU for alive patients of 12.2 months. Median overall survival (OS) of all treated patients was 26.4 months (estimated 1‑year OS 61.6%). The observed local control (LC) rate of the resection cavity was 88.6% (estimated 1‑year LC 84.3%). Distant brain control (DC) was 47.5% (estimated 1‑year DC 33.5%). Only 25% of all patients needed WBI in the further course of disease. The observed radionecrosis rate was 2.5%., Conclusion: IORT with 50-kV x‑rays is a safe and appealing way to apply LBRT after neurosurgical resection of BM, with low toxicity and excellent LC. Close MRI FU is paramount to detect distant brain failure (DBF) early., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: To establish serum concentration of protein S100B as an objective biomarker surrogate for astroglial tissue damage after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke., Methods: This prospective 2-center study recruited patients with acute middle cerebral artery infarctions caused by large vessel occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Blood samples were collected at day 2 after intervention and analyzed for S100B serum concentrations using ELISA techniques. Infarct size was determined on follow-up brain imaging and functional outcome according to modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was assessed at 90 days., Results: A total of 171 patients were included (mean age ± SD: 70 ± 14 years, 42% female). S100B levels correlated with infarct size. Median S100B concentrations at day 2 after intervention were lower in patients with favorable outcome (mRS score 0-1) at 90 days compared to patients with unfavorable outcome (mRS score 2-6) (median 0.10 µg/L [interquartile range 0.07-0.14] vs 0.20 µg/L [0.11-0.48], p < 0.001). Younger age (odds ratio [OR] 1.120 [confidence interval (CI) 1.068-1.174]; p < 0.001), lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 24 hours after symptom onset (OR 1.232 [CI 1.106-1.372]; p < 0.001), and lower S100B serum concentrations (OR 1.364 [CI 1.105-1.683]; p = 0.004) were independently associated with a favorable outcome. S100B was able to eliminate the lateralization bias associated with the use of mRS for functional outcome assessment at 90 days after stroke., Discussion: S100B serum concentrations after mechanical thrombectomy indicate the extent of ischemic tissue damage. This can be assessed rapidly, independent of brain imaging and clinical outcome scales. Following prospective validation in further studies, this may provide an objective surrogate outcome measure both in clinical routine and interventional trials., Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that S100B 2 days following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke accurately distinguishes favorable from unfavorable functional outcome., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Selective therapeutic hypothermia (TH) showed promising preclinical results as a neuroprotective strategy in acute ischemic stroke. We aimed to assess safety and feasibility of an intracarotid cooling catheter conceived for fast and selective brain cooling during endovascular thrombectomy in an ovine stroke model.Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO, 3 h) was performed in 20 sheep. In the hypothermia group (n = 10), selective TH was initiated 20 minutes before recanalization, and was maintained for another 3 h. In the normothermia control group (n = 10), a standard 8 French catheter was used instead. Primary endpoints were intranasal cooling performance (feasibility) plus vessel patency assessed by digital subtraction angiography and carotid artery wall integrity (histopathology, both safety). Secondary endpoints were neurological outcome and infarct volumes.Computed tomography perfusion demonstrated MCA territory hypoperfusion during MCAO in both groups. Intranasal temperature decreased by 1.1 °C/3.1 °C after 10/60 minutes in the TH group and 0.3 °C/0.4 °C in the normothermia group (p < 0.001). Carotid artery and branching vessel patency as well as carotid wall integrity was indifferent between groups. Infarct volumes (p = 0.74) and neurological outcome (p = 0.82) were similar in both groups.Selective TH was feasible and safe. However, a larger number of subjects might be required to demonstrate efficacy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was the development and external validation of a logistic regression model to differentiate gliosarcoma (GSC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) on standard MR imaging., Methods: A univariate and multivariate analysis was carried out of a logistic regression model to discriminate patients histologically diagnosed with primary GSC and an age and sex-matched group of patients with primary GBM on presurgical MRI with external validation., Results: In total, 56 patients with GSC and 56 patients with GBM were included. Evidence of haemorrhage suggested the diagnosis of GSC, whereas cystic components and pial as well as ependymal invasion were more commonly observed in GBM patients. The logistic regression model yielded a mean area under the curve (AUC) of 0.919 on the training dataset and of 0.746 on the validation dataset. The accuracy in the validation dataset was 0.67 with a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.5., Conclusions: Although some imaging criteria suggest the diagnosis of GSC or GBM, differentiation between these two tumour entities on standard MRI alone is not feasible.

Purpose: Little is known about catheter-based endovascular treatment of vertebrobasilar artery branch occlusion (VEBABO) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nonetheless, the experience of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in distal small sized arteries of the anterior circulation seems promising in AIS. In this multicenter study, we report the feasibility, efficacy and safety of MT in VEBABO., Methods: Retrospective analysis of consecutive AIS patients treated with MT due to VEBABO including posterior and anterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA, AICA) and superior cerebellar artery (SCA) occlusions at seven tertiary care centers between January 2013 and May 2020. Baseline demographics and angiographic outcomes including recanalization success of the affected cerebellar arteries and procedural complications were recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge and 90 days., Results: Out of 668 endovascularly treated posterior circulation strokes we identified 16 (0.02%) cases with MT for VEBABO. Most frequently, MT of the SCA was done (13/16, 81%). Most VEBABOs occurred after MT of initial basilar/posterior cerebral artery occlusion (9/16, 56%). In 10/16 (63%) procedures, the affected VEBABO was successfully recanalized. Out of four patients three (75%) with isolated VEBABO had benefited from endovascular therapy. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was observed in 3/16 (19%) procedures. The rate of favorable outcome (mRS ≤2) was 40% at discharge and 47% at 90-day follow-up. Mortality was 13% (2/15)., Conclusion: The use of MT for VEBABO is rare but appears to be feasible and effective; however, the comparatively high rate of procedure-related hemorrhage highlights that the indications for MT in these occlusion sites should be carefully weighed up., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Use of automated perfusion software has gained importance for imaging of stroke patients for mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We aim to compare four perfusion software packages: 1) with respect to their association with 3‑month functional outcome after successful reperfusion with MT in comparison to visual Cerebral Blood Volume - Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (CBV-ASPECTS) and collateral scoring and 2) with respect to their agreement in estimation of core and penumbra volume., Methods: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study (2015-2019) analyzed data from 8 centers. We included patients who were functionally independent before and underwent successful MT of the middle cerebral artery. Primary outcome measurements were the relationship of core and penumbra volume calculated by each software, qualitative assessment of collaterals and CBV-APECTS with 3‑month functional outcome and disability (modified Rankin scale >2). Quantitative differences between perfusion software measurements were also assessed., Results: A total of 215 patients (57% women, median age 77 years) from 8 centers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Multivariable analyses showed a significant association of RAPID core (common odds ratio, cOR 1.02; p = 0.015), CBV-ASPECTS (cOR 0.78; p = 0.007) and collaterals (cOR 0.78; p = 0.001) with 3‑month functional outcome (shift analysis), while RAPID core (OR 1.02; p = 0.018), CBV-ASPECTS (OR 0.77; p = 0.024), collaterals (OR 0.78; p = 0.007) and OLEA core (OR 1.02; p = 0.029) were significantly associated with 3‑month functional disability. Mean differences on core estimates between VEOcore and RAPID were 13.4 ml, between syngo.via and RAPID 30.0 ml and between OLEA and RAPID -3.2 ml., Conclusion: Collateral scoring, CBV-ASPECTS and RAPID were independently associated with functional outcome at 90 days. Core and Penumbra estimates using automated software packages varied significantly and should therefore be used with caution.

Purpose: With the introduction of new devices and the development of approved devices, endovascular techniques are more and more considered as a treatment option for middle cerebral artery aneurysms (MCA). In this study, we present data on ruptured MCA aneurysms that were treated endovascularly in our hospital., Material and Methods: In a retrospective case series of ruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms, 118 (94%) cases were managed endovascularly between May 2008 and July 2017. Most were managed with coiling (= 62) and the remaining were managed with stent-assisted-coiling (= 35) and endovascular flow disruptor (WEB-device) (= 21). We measured the clinical outcome at the time of discharge and long-term follow-up on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and evaluated the rates of periprocedural complications and retreatment., Results: A good clinical outcome (mRS 0-2) at discharge was achieved in 58.5% of these cases. Mortality rate was 19.5%. Nine aneurysms required retreatment. Eighty-three percent demonstrated a good clinical outcome at long-term follow-up (mRS 0-2). In total, 6 (5.1%) procedure-related complications and 10 (8.5%) disease-related complications occurred. No significant difference between reintervention, complications or outcome was found between the employment of different devices (P > 0.05). Endovascular treatment of ruptured MCA aneurysms at our practice showed similar morbidity and mortality to data published about surgical clipping., Conclusion: The endovascular device evolution permits a feasible and safe treatment of ruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms. Endovascular treatment can therefore be considered as an alternative treatment option to microsurgery for this type of aneurysm.

Background and Purpose: The number of acute and early stent occlusions after emergency stenting of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in patients with tandem lesions is unclear and only mentioned in a small number of publications, ranging from 0-20%. A recent article by Yilmaz et al. reported a high rate of acute in-stent occlusions of 45% within 72 h after deployment of CASPER dual layer stents., Methods: All patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with a CASPER stent between August 2014 and April 2018 were retrospectively evaluated for occlusion rates, periinterventional medication and early complications. A total of 66 patients, 45 with tandem pathologies and 21 with proximal ICA stenosis only were enrolled., Results: Thrombotic complications occurred in 16 out of 66 patients (24%) and hemorrhagic complications in 8/66 (12%) and 15 of the 16 thrombotic complications and 7/8 symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages (sICH) occurred in patients with tandem lesions and accessory intracranial thrombectomy. Of the patients with sICH five were treated in a prolonged or unknown time window. In patients with intraprocedural thrombotic complications ultrasound imaging showed patent stents in 13 of the 14 patients CONCLUSIONS: The CASPER stent system showed a high technical success rate in patients with acute stroke. The number of patients with sICH was not higher than the numbers reported in the published literature despite the early use of Gp IIb/IIIA inhibitors, whereas the number of thrombotic complications was smaller than that reported in recent studies. The majority of sICH occurred in patients treated because of tandem lesions in an unknown or prolonged time window.

Background: Data on the frequency and outcome of repeated mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with short-term re-occlusion of intracranial vessels is limited. Addressing this subject, we report our multicenter experience with a systematic review of the literature., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of consecutive acute stroke patients treated with MT repeatedly within 30 days at 10 tertiary care centers between January 2007 and January 2020. Baseline demographics, etiology of stroke, angiographic outcome and clinical outcome evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days were noted. Additionally, a systematic review of reports with repeated MT due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) recurrence was performed., Results: We identified 30 out of 7844 (0.4%) patients who received two thrombectomy procedures within 30 days due to recurrent LVO. Through systematic review, three publications of 28 participants met the criteria for inclusion. Combined, a total of 58 participants were analyzed: cardioembolic events were the most common etiology for the first (65.5%) and second LVO (60.3%), respectively. Median baseline NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) was 13 (IQR 8-16) before the first MT and 15 (IQR 11-19) before the second MT (p=0.031). Successful reperfusion was achieved in 91.4% after the first MT and in 86.2% patients after the second MT (p=0.377). The rate of functional independence (mRS 0-2) was 46% at 90 days after the second procedure., Conclusion: Repeated MT in short-term recurrent LVO is a rarity but appears to be safe and effective. The second thrombectomy should be pursued with the same extensive effort as the first procedure as these patients may achieve similar good outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Purpose: Large intracranial vessel occlusion due to calcified emboli is a rare cause of major stroke. We assessed the prevalence, imaging appearance, the effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy, and clinical outcome of patients with large-vessel occlusion due to calcified emboli., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical and procedural data of consecutive patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy due to calcified emboli in 7 European stroke centers., Results: We screened 2969 patients, and 40 patients matched the inclusion criteria, accounting for a prevalence of 1.3%. The mean maximal density of the thrombus was 327 HU (range, 150-1200 HU), and the mean thrombus length was 9.2 mm (range, 4-20 mm). Four patients had multiple calcified emboli, and 2 patients had an embolic event during an endovascular intervention. A modified TICI score of ≥2b was achieved in 57.5% (23/40), with minimal-to-no reperfusion (modified TICI 0-1) in 32.5% (13/40) and incomplete reperfusion (modified TICI 2a) in 10% (4/40). Excellent outcome (mRS 0-1) was achieved in only 20.6%, functional independence (mRS 0-2) in 26.5% and 90-day mortality was 55.9%., Conclusions: Acute ischemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion due to calcified emboli is a rare entity in patients undergoing thrombectomy, with considerably worse angiographic outcome and a higher mortality compared with patients with noncalcified thrombi. Good functional recovery at 3 months can still be achieved in about a quarter of patients., (© 2020 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Background and Purpose: To assess intra-and inter-rater agreement of the ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score) based on diffusion-weighted MRI and to compare it with fully - automated methods (eASPECTS)., Methods: DWI-ASPECTS of scans of 96 patients with acute ischemic stroke was rated by 2 experts. Automated methods based on thresholding the affected volumes of a coregistered atlas, and a regression tree learning method were established. Intra-rater, inter-rater and human-rater vs. automated methods agreements were investigated based on the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland Altman plots., Results: Intra-rater agreement was good for both raters (ICC of 0.91 and 0.93). Inter-rater agreement was worse (ICC = 0.86) indicating a slight bias between both raters. Agreement with automated methods ranged from 0.81 to 0.87. Root-mean-squared deviation was 0.89 and 0.69 for the human raters and ranged from 0.95 to 1.24 for the automated methods., Conclusions: Agreement values are on the same order or higher compared to a literature review of CT-based ASPECTS. Automated methods perform slightly worse than human expert ratings, but they still have enough power to determine the DWI-ASPECTS with good precision in a clinical setting., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We report the case of a 10-month-old boy with an enlarged head circumference and severe motor developmental delay. MRI showed a vein of Galen malformation (VGAM) with a heavily dilated median prosencephalic vein. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed a mural type VGAM with three feeding arteries arising from the posterior cerebral arteries. Due to the short length of the feeding arteries and the high flow, occlusion of the feeding vessels with detachable coils was not possible because of repeated coil dislocation into the dilated vein. Embolization of the three feeding vessels was then performed with a Woven EndoBridge single layer device (WEB SL17). In two arteries complete occlusion was accomplished with the WEB alone and in one artery additional deployment of two coils was necessary. Follow-up imaging at day 1 after treatment as well as 3 and 9 months after embolization showed persistent occlusion., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CJM received educational grants from Microvention and Stryker. AB is proctor for Sequent Medical, Microvention, Stryker and Medtronic and received lecture royalties from Penumbra. All other authors have no competing interests regarding the article., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Purpose: The optimal treatment of unruptured middle cerebral aneurysms is still under debate. Although today almost any aneurysm can be treated endovascularly, there is a lack of data comparing endovascular and microsurgical repair of MCA aneurysms. The aim of our analysis is to provide data on the efficacy, clinical outcome, complications and re-treatment rates of endovascular treatment of this subtype of aneurysms., Materials and Methods: Between May 2008 and July 2017, endovascular treatment of 1184 aneurysms in 827 patients was performed in our department. Twenty-four percent of these aneurysms were located at the MCA, and 150 unruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms treated with coiling, stent-assisted-coiling, or endovascular flow diverter (WEB device) were identified for this retrospective data analysis. Ninety-six percent of all aneurysms, ruptured and unruptured, were treated by an endovascular approach, which yields a low selection bias for aneurysms suitable for endovascular treatment. Follow-up examinations were performed after 12 and 36 months and then every 1-3 years after embolization. Procedures were analyzed for periprocedural complications, outcome, and retreatment rate of the WEB ( n = 38) and coiling with ( n = 45) or without stent assistance ( n = 67)., Results: The procedure-associated good clinical outcome (mRS ≦ 2) was 89.9%, and the mortality rate was 2.7%. Short-term follow-up good clinical outcome/mortality rates were 91.3%/0.7%. At discharge, 137 patients had an mRS of 0-2 (91.3%) and 13 had an mRS of 3-6 (8.7%). The retreatment rate was significantly higher in the WEB group (21.1%) compared with the coiling group with (5.9%) or without (2.2%) stent placement ( P < .05)., Conclusions: Regardless of the architecture of MCA bifurcation aneurysms, the endovascular treatment can be performed with low morbidity/mortality rates. The higher retreatment rate in the WEB group correlates with the learning curve in choosing the right device size., (© 2019 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Paragangliomas can be diagnosed accurately using magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic four-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography. Four-dimensional imaging uses the highly vascularised structure of these tumours, which results in a homogenous capillary blush and usually, due to the arteriovenous shunting, in an early draining vein. By these features the tumour can be differentiated from other neoplasms. The authors describe a case of a paraganglioma localised in the middle ear of an elderly patient. Magnetic resonance contraindications led to preoperative diagnostics with high resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone and additionally computed tomography perfusion imaging instead of magnetic resonance imaging with four-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography. Using the computed tomography perfusion dataset, regions of interest were placed in the carotid artery, the sigmoid sinus and the tympanic mass. In the computer-assisted analysis the tumour showed late arterial enhancement and delayed wash-out compared to the enhancement curves of the carotid artery and the sigmoid sinus. This corresponded to the highly vascularised nature of a paraganglioma. On postoperative follow-up imaging computed tomography perfusion showed almost no enhancement of a small residual tympanic mass, which was then considered to be granulation tissue. In conclusion, in the case of magnetic resonance contraindications the preoperative diagnosis of tympanic paraganglioma can be made using computed tomography imaging criteria alone. Computed tomography perfusion imaging may be helpful in these cases to detect residual or recurrent tumour.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and fully automatic infarct core and tissue at risk volumetry approach in acute ischemic stroke., Methods: We evaluated an algorithm in which segmentation was restricted to 1 hemisphere and the potential lesion characterized on the basis of the perfusion parameter Tmax with a region-wise comparison of local histograms to its mirrored counterpart., Results: We applied the "Tmax inside" method to 30 cases of a public data set with ground-truth segmentations for diffusion-weighted and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. Lesions were robustly identified with significantly higher dice coefficients (apparent diffusion coefficient, 0.83 ± 0.22; Tmax, 0.80 ± 0.05, compared with 0.53 ± 0.27 and 0.56 ± 0.18) than for a global thresholding approach., Conclusions: The proposed "Tmax inside" method is superior to the commonly used global thresholding approach. Furthermore, the method allows evaluating changes in cerebral blood volume and blood flow by taking the counterpart in the healthy hemisphere as a patient-individual reference.

Background: Retrograde brain embolization from complex plaques of the proximal descending aorta (DAo) has been identified as a new potential mechanism of stroke. Our purpose was to identify predictors of increased retrograde aortic blood flow indicating an elevated risk of brain embolization from the DAo., Methods: A total of 485 patients with acute ischemic stroke were prospectively included and underwent transesophageal echocardiography. Blood flow velocities in the proximal DAo were studied using 2D pulse-wave Doppler ultrasound. Velocity-time integrals (VTI) were calculated for antegrade and retrograde velocity directions. The ratio (VTIretrograde/VTIantegrade) was used to estimate retrograde flow extent. Associations between patient demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, echocardiographic parameters, and VTIratio were analyzed using multivariate linear regression., Results: Retrograde blood flow in the DAo occurred in all patients. Velocity profiles in the proximal DAo were as follows (mean ± SD): VTIantegrade = 21.1 ± 6.5, VTIretrograde = 11.0 ± 3.6, and VTIratio = 0.54 ± 0.16. Diameter (r = 0.25, p < 0.001), presence of complex plaques (r = 0.12, p = 0.007), and reduced strain of the DAo (r = -0.23, p < 0.001) had significant partial effects in a predictor model based on predefined variables, which predicted 26% (adjusted R2 = 0.26) of the variance in VTIratio. A unit increase in the DAo diameter was associated with a 2% increase in VTIratio (95% CI 1-2.8%, p < 0.001). Presence of complex plaques increased VTIratio by 7% (95% CI 2-13%, p = 0.007) and an increase in strain by 0.1 indicated a decrease in VTIratio by about 11% (95% CI 6.2-15.5%, p < 0.001). Complex atheroma was found in the proximal DAo of 79 subjects, of which 40 (50.6%) had a VTIratio above average (VTIratio ≥0.54) compared to 87 of 261 (33.3%) patients without any complex plaques (p < 0.001). Twenty-five of 79 (31.7%) patients with complex DAo plaques had a VTIratio ≥0.60, which indicates a high likelihood of retrograde pathline length of ≥3 cm and thus increased risk of retrograde cerebral embolization. Stroke etiology of those 25 patients was determined in 13 and cryptogenic in 12 cases., Conclusions: Retrograde blood flow in the DAo was found in all stroke patients. However, it increased further in patients with concomitant complex plaques, low strain, and/or large aortic diameter, that is, in those with atherosclerosis of the DAo. Accordingly, such patients may be predisposed to retrograde embolization in case of occurrence of a complex plaque in proximity to a brain-supplying artery., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Increasing numbers needed to treat within the first hours after ischemic stroke onset indicate a strong time dependency of the viability of brain tissue. However, this time dependency is not reflected in recent randomized controlled trials of endovascular stroke treatment. This study evaluates whether and to which extent a time dependency exists in patients with embolic carotid T or M1 occlusions within the first 6 h of stroke onset., Methods: Patient data were retrieved from the Freiburg stroke data bank. Time from onset to acquisition of the diffusion weighted images (DWIs) varied between 49 and 357 min. Ischemic lesions were semiautomatically segmented on apparent diffusion coefficient maps with a threshold of 600 × 10 (- 6) mm(2)/s. Occlusion location and thrombus length were determined with magnetic resonance angiography, T2*, and more recently susceptibility weighted image (SWI) sequences. A hyperintense vessel sign in FLAIR images as a possible surrogate for collaterals was also identified., Results: A total of 155 patients with occlusions of the carotid T (n = 26), proximal M1 segment (n = 44), and distal M1 segment (n = 85) of the middle cerebral artery between 2011 and 2015 were included. Infarct volumes varied from 0.3 to 180.2 mL. Infarct size did not correlate with stroke onset to DWI times. Infarct volumes also did not associate with different locations of vessel occlusion, thrombus length, presence of the hyperintense vessel sign and initial infarct growth., Conclusion: We found no significant time dependency of the viability of brain tissue with embolic carotid T or M1 occlusions between 1 and 6 h after stroke onset. The early infarction volume is thus probably determined in the hyperacute phase by the quality of leptomeningeal collaterals and comparatively stable in this time period.

Background and Purpose: Several small case series reported a favorable clinical outcome for emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery combined with mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke. The rate of postinterventional symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages was reported to be as high as 20%. Therefore, we investigated the safety and efficacy of this technique in a large multicentric cohort., Materials and Methods: The data bases of 4 German stroke centers were screened for all patients who received emergency stent placement of the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with mechanical thrombectomy of the anterior circulation between 2007 and 2014. The primary outcome measure was the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage according to the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study III criteria; secondary outcome measures included the angiographic revascularization results and clinical outcome., Results: One hundred seventy patients with a median age of 64 years (range, 25-88 years) were treated. They presented after a median of 98 minutes (range, 52-160 minutes) with a median NIHSS score of 15 (range, 12-19). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages occurred in 15/170 (9%) patients; there was no statistically significant difference among groups pertaining to age, sex, intravenous rtPA, procedural timings, and the rate of successful recanalization. In 130/170 (77%) patients, a TICI score of ≥ 2b could be achieved. The in-hospital mortality rate was 19%, and 36% of patients had a favorable outcome at follow-up., Conclusions: Emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with anterior circulation thrombectomy is effective and safe. It is not associated with a significantly higher risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage compared with published series for mechanical thrombectomy alone., (© 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Purpose: Acute major stroke with high-grade stenosis or occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) and additional intracranial large artery occlusion is increasingly treated with a mechanical endovascular approach by extracranial stenting and intracranial thrombectomy due to poor response to systemic thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). This article presents a single centre cohort of this challenging subtype of stroke, describing the technical procedure and analysing the angiographic and clinical outcome., Methods: Clinical and imaging data of all consecutive patients between July 2008 and March 2013 with intracranial artery occlusion in the anterior circulation and additional occlusion or pseudo-occlusion of the cervical ICA were retrospectively analysed with respect to demographical and clinical characteristics. Technical approach, recanalization rate, recanalization time and short-term clinical outcome were determined., Results: A total of 43 patients with tandem occlusion in the anterior circulation met the inclusion criteria. Out of these, 32 (74.4%) occlusions and 11 (25.6%) pseudo-occlusions of the extracranial ICA with additional occlusion of the distal segment of the ICA in 7.0% (3/43), the M1-segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in 81.4% (35/43) or the M2-segment of the MCA in 11.6% (5/43) of cases were treated with combined endovascular approach including extracranial stenting with angioplasty and intracranial mechanical thrombectomy. In 76.7% of cases, an angiographic recanalization result of 2b or 3 using the Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score was achieved. Mean time from first angiographic series to recanalization was 103 min. A modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≤ 2 was achieved in 32.6% at the time of discharge., Conclusion: Endovascular therapy of patients with tandem occlusion in the anterior circulation with emergency extracranial stenting and intracranial mechanical thrombectomy appears to be safe and may lead to a satisfactory angiographic result and clinical outcome.

Objective: To determine the importance of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in the treatment of ischemic stroke., Material and Methods: Analysis and comparison of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of MT versus i.v. thrombolysis (IVT) considering pathophysiological and logistic aspects., Results: The use of MT is more effective than IVT for internal carotid artery terminus (ICAT), M1 segment and tandem occlusions, i.e. proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion or stenosis, even in patients older than 75-80 years of age. Due to the small sample sizes this question cannot be answered for patients with M2 occlusions. It is still uncertain whether MT is needed in patients with a low National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score, whether IVT is needed before MT and what type of imaging should be performed. Approximately one third of eligible patients currently undergo MT in Germany. Results from RCTs with stent retrievers for patients with vertebrobasilar artery occlusions are lacking., Conclusion: After becoming established as a first-line therapy for patients with ICAT, M1 segment and tandem occlusions, the effectiveness of MT with stent retrievers has to proven in patients with more distal occlusions, low NIHSS scores and even vertebrobasilar artery occlusions.

Background: Currently, there are 2 strategies to increase the effect of systemic thrombolysis with alteplase (rtPA) in acute major stroke: endovascular treatment via stent retrieval and ultrasound enhancement (sonothrombolysis). This study compares these 2 approaches in patients with proximal intracranial occlusion of the anterior circulation., Methods: Consecutive data on the treatment outcome of acute middle cerebral artery (M1) or carotid T occlusion were collected from 2 stroke centers: one center used rtPA plus endovascular stent retrieval as standard treatment and the other rtPA plus ultrasound (sonothrombolysis). The primary outcome was functional independence (modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-2) after neurorehabilitation., Results: A total of 132 patients were assessed (n = 73 endovascular, n = 59 sonothrombolysis). The rate of functional independence was higher for endovascular treatment (adjusted OR 3.89 (95% CI 1.36-12.58)). Additionally, ordinal mRS analysis favored the endovascular strategy (adjusted common OR 1.70 (95% CI 0.88-3.31)). Subgroup analysis showed that endovascular treatment was superior for carotid T occlusion (adjusted common OR 5.61 (95% CI 1.60-20.93)), but not for middle cerebral artery occlusion (adjusted common OR 1.07 (95% CI 0.47-2.43)). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 3 patients from the endovascular group., Conclusions: This observational study suggests that endovascular treatment of acute major anterior circulation stroke is superior to sonothrombolysis in terms of functional outcome. This benefit seems to pertain primarily to patients with carotid T occlusion, whereas patients with M1 occlusion seem to profit in a similar way from both methods. (, Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.germanctr.de. Unique identifier: DRKS0000x200B;5305.)., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)