Endovascular thrombectomy for Basilar Artery Occlusion
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Abstract
Background: Mechanical thrombectomy is an acute treatment for patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke. To date, there is a lack of evidence of efficacy of thrombectomy for patient with a stroke in the posterior circulation of the brain since the previous trials on the effeciacy of thrombectomy excluded these patients. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of thrombectomy for patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) and compare the result to those with an anterior circulation occlusion (ACS). Methods: This retrospective observational study included descriptive data from 83 BAO patients and 494 ACS patients (control group). Patients’ baseline characteristics, stroke procedure, complications, clinical outcome, and mortality was analyzed. The primary outcome was favorable clinical outcome at 3 months (mRS 0-2), whereas mortality was set as secondary outcome. Binary logistic regression was performed to identifying variables independently associated to the primary and secondary outcome variables. Results: Favorable outcome at 3 months did not significant differ between patients with BAO and patients with ACS (35.7 % vs 35.7 %; p=1.000). Successful recanalization rate did also show no significant difference between BAO and ACS (86.7 % vs 88.1 %; p=0.718). Mortality was significant higher in the BAO group (35.7%) than in the ASC group (23.1 %), p=0.036. In the multivariate analysis, unfavorable outcome was significantly associated with age (odds ratio (OR 1.054 per 1-year increase, 95 % CI 1.031-1.076; p<0.001), prestroke mRS (OR 2.078, 95 % CI 1.007-4.287; p<0.048), NIHSS score on admission (OR 1.060 per 1-point increase, 95 % CI 1.017-1.104; p=0.005), general anesthesia (OR 1.858, 95 % CI 1.082-3.191; p=0.025) and intracranial bleeding (OR 4.217, 95 % CI 1.727-10.297; p=0.002). For mortaltity, age, pre-stroke mRS, NIHSS score on admission, intravenous thrombolysis and intracranial bleeding showed significant association. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in recanalization rates or favorable outcome at 3 months between patients with BAO and patients in the control group. These results were consistent with other studies and contribute with evidence suggesting thrombectomy as equally effective for patients with BAO as it is for patients with ACS.