Single-Centre Experience with Patients Selection for Mechanical Thrombectomy Based on Automated Computed Tomography Perfusion Analysis-A Comparison with Computed TomographyCT Perfusion Thrombectomy Trials.

BACKGROUND: In randomized clinical trials, mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was proved to be a highly effective treatment of acute ischemic stroke which improved clinical outcomes. Some of the trials used automated computed tomography perfusion (CTP) analysis for selection of participants. We present a single-center experience with CTP selection and comparison with CTP trials. METHODS: Data of consecutive MT patients (from January 2016 to December 2017) were retrospectively reviewed. All patients with multiphase CT angiography confirmed the presence of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion/s in the intracranial internal carotid artery and/or middle cerebral artery (M1 or M2) and with admission brain CTP analyzed by RAPID software were included into the analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (mean age was 70.1 ± 13.6 years, females 48.5%). At baseline, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 16 (IQR = 13-20), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) was 8 (IQR = 7-9), CTP core volume was 20 mL (IQR = 2-36), and CTP penumbra volume was 145.5 mL (IQR = 107-184). Time from stroke onset to imaging was 1 hour 32 minutes, time from stroke onset to reperfusion was 3 hours 50 minutes, and median time from CT to reperfusion was 1 hour 56 minutes. Modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b/3 was achieved in 42 patients (67.7%). Twenty-three patients (37%) had modified Rankin scale 0-2 at 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of CTP-selected patients for MT supports clinical applicability of automated CTP analysis into everyday clinical practice.