Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery最新文献

Background: Despite the increasing use of non-invasive imaging, DSA remains the gold standard for cerebrovascular imaging. However, trends in DSA utilization are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to describe DSA utilization in a large claims database in the US over a 13 year period.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study assessed a nationwide database of privately insured individuals from 2005 to 2018 for patients undergoing cranial CT angiography (CTA), MR angiography (MRA), and DSA. We assessed trends in the overall use of and indications for each modality. For DSA, we examined the types of performing proceduralists.

Results: Among patients undergoing DSA in 2018, median age was 52 years, and 60% were women. MRA and DSA use decreased, from 289 to 275 claims, and from 38 to 29 claims per 100 000 enrollees, respectively, while CTA use increased from 31 to 286 claims per 100 000 enrollees. These trends differed by geographic region and indication. Nearly half of DSA procedures but <25% of non-invasive imaging were inpatient studies. DSA performed by neurosurgeons increased from 0.5 to 4.1 while those performed by radiologists decreased from 7.2 to 4.0 studies per 100 000 enrollees.

Conclusions: DSA use decreased slightly while CTA use increased by ninefold. The reasons for this change are likely complex and may reflect more aggressive imaging for stroke, increased detection of incidental findings, and increased quality of non-invasive imaging. Over time, the proportion of DSA procedures performed by neurosurgeons overtook that performed by radiologists.

Background: In patients with refractory intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD), percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTBA) is less complex but typically results in higher postprocedural residual stenosis than percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting (PTAS).

Methods: This study included patients with symptomatic ICAD with 70-99% stenosis treated with either PTBA or PTAS. All patients underwent preprocedural and postprocedural CT perfusion, which was processed by automated RAPID software. The rate of cerebral perfusion change was defined as the ratio of the volume of perfusion change to the preprocedural perfusion volume. Perioperative complications within a 30-day follow-up period were documented. Baseline characteristics, degree of stenosis before and after procedures, perioperative complications, and the rates of cerebral perfusion change were compared between groups. Patients were followed up for stroke recurrence within 1 year postprocedure, with survival analysis used to examine the relationship between procedure type and recurrence.

Results: Between March and December 2021, 107 patients were enrolled: 30 (28.0%) were treated with PTBA and 77 (72.0%) with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting (PTAS). The PTBA group showed higher postprocedural residual stenosis than the PTAS group (P<0.004). The cerebral perfusion change rates were not significantly different between the groups (P=0.891). Three (3.9%) complications occurred in the PTAS group and none in the PTBA group during the 30-day follow-up. Stroke recurrence did not significantly differ between the procedures (P=0.960).

Conclusions: Immediate cerebral perfusion changes and the rate of stroke recurrences have no significant difference between the two groups.

Background: The Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device (FRED) X is a next generation flow-diverting stent for treating intracranial aneurysms. Its surface modification (X technology) aims to minimize device thrombogenicity. Early post-market multicenter data from the US are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter analysis of consecutive FRED X procedures performed to treat unruptured intracranial aneurysms at four US centers (March 2022 to January 2024). Cases with ruptured aneurysms or extracranial aneurysm location were excluded (n=10). We assessed patient and aneurysm characteristics, antithrombotic management, safety events, and both clinical and angiographic (effectiveness) outcomes.

Results: In this cohort, 101 patients underwent FRED X stenting for 117 aneurysms. Most aneurysms were saccular in shape (95.7%) and located at the C6-C7 segments of the internal carotid artery (72.6%). Thromboembolic events occurred in 5.9% of the cases, leading to one instance of permanent procedure related morbidity (1.0%). No procedure related mortality (0%) was observed. Device related issues were recorded in 2.0% of cases. At the 6 month follow-up, complete aneurysm occlusion was achieved in 58% of aneurysms. At the last available follow-up (6-12 months), 74.8% of aneurysms were adequately occluded.

Conclusions: FRED X stenting for unruptured intracranial aneurysms demonstrated low rates of neurological morbidity and periprocedural complications. Early aneurysm occlusion rates were appropriate, but further mid-term and long term follow-up is required. These findings support the early safety and effectiveness of the FRED X device for intracranial aneurysm treatment.

Background: The time to maximum (Tmax) profile based on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) provides a quantitative assessment of cerebral hemodynamic compromise. We aimed to delineate the Tmax profile in stroke patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) and to investigate its predictive role in stroke recurrence after optimal medical treatment.

Methods: Consecutive patients with ischemic stroke within 30 days attributed to 50%-99% ICAS were prospectively enrolled. Baseline tissue volume at different perfusion parameter thresholds based on CTP was automatically calculated using the Rapid Processing of Perfusion and Diffusion (RAPID) software. All patients received optimal medical treatment. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke in the territory of qualifying artery or vascular death within 1 year.

Results: Among 204 patients with symptomatic ICAS, the median volume of Tmax >4 s, Tmax >6 s, and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) <30% were 61 mL, 0 mL, and 0 mL, respectively. The 1 year rate of primary outcome was 16.2% (33/204). Tmax >4 s volume was significantly associated with the primary outcome (per 10 mL increase, adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.028 (1.008-1.049), P=0.005). The optimal cut-off value of Tmax >4 s volume for predicting the primary outcome was 83 mL. Patients with Tmax >4 s volume >83 mL had a higher risk of the 1 year primary outcome than those with Tmax >4 s volume ≤83 mL (adjusted HR, 7.346 (3.012-17.871), P<0.001), after adjusting for degree of stenosis and stroke mechanisms.

Conclusion: Tmax >4 s volume is a promising perfusion parameter to define hemodynamic compromise in patients with symptomatic ICAS. Patients with a larger volume of Tmax >4 s are likely to have a higher risk of stroke recurrence despite optimal medical treatment.

Background: Automated machine learning (ML)-based large vessel occlusion (LVO) detection algorithms have been shown to improve in-hospital workflow metrics including door-to-groin time (DTG). The degree to which care team engagement and interaction are required for these benefits remains incompletely characterized.

Methods: This analysis was conducted as a pre-planned post-hoc analysis of a randomized prospective clinical trial. ML-based LVO detection software was implemented at four comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) from January 1, 2021, to February 27, 2022. Patients were included if they underwent endovascular thrombectomy for LVO acute ischemic stroke. ML software utilization was quantified as the total number of active users and the ratio of the number of comments to the number of patients analyzed by the software by site per week. Primary outcome was the reduction in DTG relative to pre-ML implementation by hospital utilization level. Data are expressed as median (IQR).

Results: Among 101 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the median age was 71 years (IQR 59-79), with 48.5% being female. CSC 4 had the greatest number of total active users per week (32.5 (27.5-34.5)), and comment-to-patient ratio per week (5.8 (4.6-6.9)). Increased ML software utilization was associated with improvements in DTG reduction. For every 1 unit increase in the comment-to-patient ratio, DTG time decreased by 2.6 (95% CI -5.09 to -0.13) min, while accounting for site-level random effects. Number of users-to-patient was not associated with a reduction in DTG time (β=-0.22, 95% CI -1.78 to 1.33).

Conclusions: In this post-hoc analysis, user engagement with software, rather than total number of users, was associated with site-specific improvements in DTG time.

Background: Identifying eloquent regions associated with poor outcomes based on CT perfusion (CTP) may help inform personalized decisions on selection for endovascular therapy (EVT) in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke. This study aimed to characterize the relationship between CTP-defined hypoperfusion and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) subitem deficits.

Methods: Patients with anterior circulation LVO, baseline CTP, itemized NIHSS at presentation and 24 hours were included. CTP was analyzed using e-CTP (Brainomix, UK). Time to maximal contrast (Tmax) prolongation was defined as >6 s, and penumbra as the difference between Tmax and ischemic core (relative cerebral blood flow<30%). Voxel-lesion-symptom mapping was performed using sparse canonical correlation analysis. For each NIHSS subitem, and total NIHSS, the associations were plotted between Tmax voxels with baseline NIHSS, and penumbra voxels with delta NIHSS (24 hours minus baseline).

Results: This study included 171 patients. Total NIHSS was predicted by hypoperfusion in left frontal cortex and subcortical white matter tracts. Voxels associated with neurological recovery were symmetrical and subcortical.Limb deficits were associated with respective motor cortex regions and descending motor tracts, with negative correlation within the contralateral hemispheres. A similar but smaller cluster of voxels within the penumbra was associated with NIHSS improvement. Language impairment correlated with left frontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus voxels. With the exception of dysarthria, significant associations were observed and more diffusely distributed in all other NIHSS subitems.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate the feasibility of hypoperfusion-to-symptom mapping in LVO. Symptom-based mapping from presenting imaging could refine treatment decisions targeting specific neurological deficits.

Background: Surveys are increasingly used in neurointervention to gauge physicians' and patients' attitudes, practice patterns, and 'real-world' treatment strategies, particularly in conditions for which few, or no evidence-based, recommendations exist. While survey-based studies can provide valuable insights into real-world problems and management strategies, there is an inherent risk of bias.

Objective: To assess key themes, sample characteristics, response metrics, and report frequencies of quality indicators of neurointerventional surveys.

Methods: A systematic review compliant with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was performed. The PubMed database was searched for neurointerventional surveys published between 2000 and 2023. Survey topics, design, respondent characteristics, and survey quality criteria suggested by the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS) were assessed and described using descriptive statistics. Response rates and numbers of participants were further assessed for their dependence on sample characteristics and survey methodologies.

Results: A total of 122 surveys were included in this analysis. The number of surveys published each year increased steeply between 2000 (n=1) and 2023 (n=14). The most common survey topics were stroke (51/122, 41.8%) and aneurysm treatment (49/122, 40.2%). The median response rate was 58.5% (IQR=30.4-86.3), with a median number of respondents of 79 (IQR=50-201). Sixty-eight of 122 (55.7%) surveys published the questionnaire used for data collection. Only a subset of studies reported response rates (n=89, 73%), data collection time period (n=91, 74.6%), and strategies to prevent duplicate responses (n=57, 46.7%).

Conclusion: Surveys are increasingly used by neurointerventional researchers, particularly to assess real-world practice patterns in endovascular stroke and aneurysm treatment. Adapting best-practice guidelines like the CROSS checklist might improve homogeneity and quality in neurointerventional survey research.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) often leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is an effective intervention for large vessel occlusion strokes. However, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) remains a critical post-procedural complication. This study investigates the relationship between basal ganglia infarction (BGI) and the risk of HT, particularly focusing on hemorrhagic infarction (HI) and parenchymal hematoma (PH).

Methods: Data from the DIRECT-MT trial were analyzed. Patients were categorized based on the presence of BGI identified on initial non-contrast CT. HT was classified into HI and PH following the Heidelberg criteria. Multivariate logistic regression, propensity score matching (PSM), and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to assess the association between BGI and HT.

Results: Among 607 patients, 273 had BGI. BGI was associated with a higher risk of HT, specifically PH. The incidence of PH in the BGI group was 20% compared with 11% in the non-BGI group. Adjusted analyses, including PSM and IPTW, confirmed the significant association between BGI and PH with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.51 (95% CI 1.49 to 4.22, P<0.001). However, no significant association was found between BGI and HI.

Conclusions: BGI significantly increases the risk of PH following MT for AIS, underscoring the need for tailored therapeutic strategies in managing these patients. No significant correlation was observed between BGI and HI. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms and validate these findings across diverse populations to improve patient outcomes.