Background and Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion is uncommon in young adults. We assessed stroke cause in young patients and compared their outcomes after endovascular... Show moreBackground and Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion is uncommon in young adults. We assessed stroke cause in young patients and compared their outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy with older patients. Methods: We used data (March 2014 until November 2017) of patients with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke from the MR CLEAN (Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands) Registry, a nationwide, prospective study on endovascular thrombectomy in the Netherlands. We compared young patients (18-49 years) with older patients (>= 50 years). Outcomes included modified Rankin Scale score after 90 days (both shift and dichotomized analyses), expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Analyses were adjusted for confounding. Results: We included 3256 patients, 310 (10%) were 18 to 49 years old. Young patients had lower median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (14 versus 16, P<0.001) and less cardiovascular comorbidities than older patients. Stroke etiologies in young patients included carotid dissection (16%), cardio-embolism (15%), large artery atherosclerosis (10%), and embolic stroke of undetermined source (31%). Clinical outcome was better in young than older patients (acOR for modified Rankin Scale shift: 1.8 [95% CI, 1.5-2.2]; functional independence [modified Rankin Scale score 0-2] 61 versus 39% [adjusted odds ratio, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.6-2.8]); mortality 7% versus 32%, adjusted odds ratio, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.3]). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred less frequently in young patients (3% versus 6%, adjusted odds ratio, 0.5 [95% CI, 0.2-1.00]). Successful reperfusion (expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction Score 2b-3) did not differ between groups. Onset to reperfusion time was shorter in young patients (253 versus 255 minutes, adjusted B in minutes 12.4 [95% CI, 2.4-22.5]). Conclusions: Ten percent of patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy were younger than 50. Cardioembolism and carotid dissection were common underlying causes in young patients. In one-third of cases, no cause was identified, indicating the need for more research on stroke cause in young patients. Young patients had better prognosis and lower risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage than older patients. Show less
LeCouffe, N.E.; Kappelhof, M.; Treurniet, K.M.; Rinkel, L.A.; Bruggeman, A.E.; Berkhemer, O.A.; ... ; MR CLEAN-NO IV Investigators 2021
Alteplase with EVT versus EVT Alone for Stroke Trials involving Asian patients with acute stroke have suggested that endovascular treatment alone is not inferior to the usual practice of... Show moreAlteplase with EVT versus EVT Alone for Stroke Trials involving Asian patients with acute stroke have suggested that endovascular treatment alone is not inferior to the usual practice of thrombolysis before endovascular treatment. This trial involving European patients did not show noninferiority or superiority of endovascular treatment alone.Background The value of administering intravenous alteplase before endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke has not been studied extensively, particularly in non-Asian populations. Methods We performed an open-label, multicenter, randomized trial in Europe involving patients with stroke who presented directly to a hospital that was capable of providing EVT and who were eligible for intravenous alteplase and EVT. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive EVT alone or intravenous alteplase followed by EVT (the standard of care). The primary end point was functional outcome on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 [no disability] to 6 [death]) at 90 days. We assessed the superiority of EVT alone over alteplase plus EVT, as well as noninferiority by a margin of 0.8 for the lower boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the odds ratio of the two trial groups. Death from any cause and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were the main safety end points. Results The analysis included 539 patients. The median score on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days was 3 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with EVT alone and 2 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with alteplase plus EVT. The adjusted common odds ratio was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 1.15; P=0.28), which showed neither superiority nor noninferiority of EVT alone. Mortality was 20.5% with EVT alone and 15.8% with alteplase plus EVT (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.84 to 2.30). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 5.9% and 5.3% of the patients in the respective groups (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.60 to 2.81). Conclusions In a randomized trial involving European patients, EVT alone was neither superior nor noninferior to intravenous alteplase followed by EVT with regard to disability outcome at 90 days after stroke. The incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was similar in the two groups. (Funded by the Collaboration for New Treatments of Acute Stroke consortium and others; MR CLEAN-NO IV ISRCTN number, .) Show less
Background: Endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke due to proximal occlusion of the anterior intracranial circulation, started within 6 h from symptom onset, has been proven safe and... Show moreBackground: Endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke due to proximal occlusion of the anterior intracranial circulation, started within 6 h from symptom onset, has been proven safe and effective. Recently, EVT has been proven effective beyond the 6-h time window in a highly selected population using CT perfusion or MR diffusion. Unfortunately, these imaging modalities are not available in every hospital, and strict selection criteria might exclude patients who could still benefit from EVT. The presence of collaterals on CT angiography (CTA) may offer a more pragmatic imaging criterion that predicts possible benefit from EVT beyond 6 h from time last known well. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of EVT for patients treated between 6 and 24 h from time last known well after selection based on the presence of collateral flow.Methods: The MR CLEAN-LATE trial is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial, aiming to enroll 500 patients. We will investigate the efficacy of EVT between 6 and 24 h from time last known well in acute ischemic stroke due to a proximal intracranial anterior circulation occlusion confirmed by CTA or MRA. Patients with any collateral flow (poor, moderate, or good collaterals) on CTA will be included. The inclusion of poor collateral status will be restricted to a maximum of 100 patients. In line with the current Dutch guidelines, patients who fulfill the characteristics of included patients in DAWN and DEFUSE 3 will be excluded as they are eligible for EVT as standard care. The primary endpoint is functional outcome at 90 days, assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Treatment effect will be estimated with ordinal logistic regression (shift analysis) on the mRS at 90 days. Secondary endpoints include clinical stroke severity at 24 h and 5-7 days assessed by the NIHSS, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, recanalization at 24 h, follow-up infarct size, and mortality at 90 days,Discussion: This study will provide insight into whether EVT is safe and effective for patients treated between 6 and 24 h from time last known well after selection based on the presence of collateral flow on CTA. Show less
