Emergent endovascular treatment versus medical treatment for acute large vessel occlusions with nondisabling symptoms.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and safety of medical treatment (MT) versus endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute large vessel occlusion patients with mild nondisabling stroke symptoms.

Methods: This study is a multicenter observational study in which data from patients at three stroke centers were prospectively obtained and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were included if they arrived for treatment within 6 h of stroke onset or last known well time and had a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≤5. Primary outcome was modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2 at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), discharge NIHSS score, 90-day all-cause mortality and length of stay. Clinical outcomes were compared through a multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for age, treatment type admission and discharge NIHSS score, admission Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score and length of stay.

Results: Of the 82 patients included in the study, 42 were in the EVT group and 40 were in the MT group. The groups were similar in age (MT:66, EVT:64 age; p = .62), gender (MT:55%, EVT:54.8%; male) admission NIHSS score (MT:2, EVT:3 points; p = .26), ASPECT score (MT:10, EVT:9; p = .15). While discharge NIHSS score was found to be statistically significant between the groups (MT:1, EVT:2; p = .04). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of 90-day mRS scores (MT:1, EVT:1, p = .86) and mortality rates (MT:4, EVT:4; p = .94). In unadjusted analysis, sICH rates were similar between the MT and EVT groups (MT 5%, EVT 7.1%, p = .52). Neurological intensive care unit length of stay (MT:5 days, EVT:2 days p < .001), inpatient clinic length of stay (MT:3, EVT:2 days p = .041), and total length of stay (MT:9 days, EVT:4 days p < .001) were significantly longer in the MT group.

Conclusions: Our multicenter study demonstrated that MT with blood pressure augmentation and anticoagulation at hyperacute stage is an alternative option for emergency large vessel occlusion patients with nondisabling mild stroke symptoms.