Thrombus formation associated with operation procedure and clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the association between thrombus composition and mechanical recanalization,operation procedure and clinical outcome.Methods:One hundred and ninety-two consecutive stroke patients with large-vessel occlusion treated by mechanical thrombectomy using a stent retriever and (or) aspiration catheter in the Affiliated Huaian No.1 People′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2018 and January 2020 were collected. The retrieved thrombi were quantitatively analyzed for red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and fibrin. The patients were divided into two groups, a erythrocyte-rich group and a fibrin-rich group based on the predominant composition in the clot. The clinical prognosis, CT value of thrombus, procedure time,number of recanalization maneuvers, and degree of vascular recanalization were compared between the two groups.Results:The retrieved clot from 138 patients with acute ischemic stroke from internal carotid artery occlusion ( n=56), middle cerebral artery occlusion ( n=62), intracranial segment of vertebral artery or basilar artery occlusion( n=20) were histologically analyzed. Erythrocyte-rich clots were present in 59 cases, while fibrin-rich clots were present in 79 cases. Cardioembolic thrombi had higher proportions of fibrin/platelets [77.2%(61/79)], less erythrocytes than noncardioembolic thrombi [45.8%(27/59), χ2=8.115, P=0.004]. Patients with erythrocyte-rich thrombi had a smaller number of recanalization maneuvers [2 (1, 2) vs 3 (2, 4), Z=-7.613, P<0.001], shorter procedure time [45 (30, 60) min vs 80 (60, 90) min, Z=-6.944, P<0.001], higher thrombus CT value [42 (32, 53) vs 36 (31, 41), Z=-2.003, P=0.045], good clinical prognosis (the ratio of modified Rankin Scale score ≤2, 62.7% (37/59) vs 39.2% (31/79), χ2=7.444, P=0.006). There was no significant difference in the location of vascular occlusion between the two groups. Conclusion:For patients whose thrombotic components are mainly red blood cells, the cause of stroke may be non cardiogenic cerebral embolism, the CT value of embolus is relatively high, the embolus is easy to remove, and the clinical prognosis is relatively good.