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Background and purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging quantitative T2* mapping has shown reliable identification of thrombus red blood cell content in vitro. The thrombus composition has been in vivo, associated with outcomes after endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke. We aim to analyze the red blood cell content of thrombi retrieved from patients with large vessel occlusions in relation to the thrombus-T2* relaxation time in magnetic resonance imaging. Material and methods: Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated by endovascular therapy were scanned with an magnetic resonance imaging quantitative T2* mapping sequence. Quantitative histologic evaluations of red blood cell content were performed. A linear regression assessed the association between vascular risk factors, comorbidities, antithrombotic drugs intake, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), intravenous thrombolysis before endovascular therapy, time between onset and groin puncture, patient's outcome at 3 months, magnetic resonance imaging quantitative T2* mapping results, and the red blood cell content of thrombi. The correlation between the mean thrombus-T2* relaxation time and red blood cell content was assessed by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Among 31 thrombi, 16 were "Fibrin rich" and 15 "red blood cell dominant." The median red blood cell content was 39 (range, 0–90; interquartile range, 37). The median (interquartile range) thrombus-T2* relaxation time was shorter in "red blood cell dominant" thrombi (21, interquartile range 6) than in "Fibrin rich" thrombi (24, interquartile range 7), without significant difference (p = 0.15), as shown in the Box plot. An inverse correlation between thrombus-T2* relaxation time and red blood cell content was found, with a correlation coefficient of −0.41 (95% CI, −0.67 to −0.08, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Our study shows that a shorter thrombus-T2* relaxation time is related to a higher red blood cell content within in vivo thrombi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Circulatory assistance from a SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (SynCardia-TAH) is a reliable bridge-to-transplant solution for patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure. Ischemic strokes affect about 10% of patients with a SynCardia-TAH. We report for the first time in the literature two successful thrombectomies to treat the acute phase of ischemic stroke in two patients treated with a SynCardia-TAH in the bridge-to-transplant (BTT). Case report: We follow two patients with circulatory support from a SynCardia-TAH in the bridge-to-transplant for terminal biventricular cardiac failure with ischemic stroke during the support period. An early in-hospital diagnosis enables the completion of a mechanical thrombectomy within the first 6 h of the onset of symptoms. There was no intracranial hemorrhagic complication during or after the procedure and the patients fully recovered from neurological deficits, allowing a successful heart transplant. Conclusion: This case report describes the possibility of treating ischemic strokes under a SynCardia-TAH by mechanical thrombectomy following the same recommendations as for the general population with excellent results and without any hemorrhagic complication during or after the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensity (FVH) document slowed vascular flow at the level and after the occlusion site patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to assess the accuracy of FVH for the confirmation and location of a large vessel occlusion (LVO). Methods: Three radiologists reviewed the FLAIR sequence of the admission MRI exam of patients with suspected AIS at a single academic center. Readers were provided with the main clinical deficit with National Institute of Health Stroke Severity score and were asked to identify and locate an LVO when appropriate. Kappa coefficients were calculated for agreement along with diagnosis performances of FVH to recognize and locate an LVO with digital subtracted angiography (DSA) as gold standard. Results: Among 125 patients screened with MRI for a suspected AIS, 96 (81%) were diagnosed with AIS and 47 (38%) patients had an anterior LVO of whom 25 (20%) had a DSA for mechanical thrombectomy. Kappa coefficients for intra- and inter-readers were good to excellent. Overall, the sensitivity and the specificity of the FVH to predict an anterior LVO was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94–1) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79–0.96), respectively, while PPV and NPV were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.85–0.95) and 0.98 (0.97–1), respectively. FVH also showed good to excellent accuracy for identifying M1 and M2 versus internal carotid artery occlusion site. Conclusion: We found that FVH demonstrated excellent diagnostic performances for the identification of LVO and its level with good to excellent reproducibility. This MRI radio marker of occlusion provides additional arguments and may speed-up the detection of potential candidates for MT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The benefits of endovascular revascularization using the contact aspiration technique vs the stent retriever technique in patients with acute ischemic stroke remain uncertain because of lack of evidence from randomized trials.Objective: To compare efficacy and adverse events using the contact aspiration technique vs the standard stent retriever technique as a first-line endovascular treatment for successful revascularization among patients with acute ischemic stroke and large vessel occlusion.Design, Setting, and Participants: The Contact Aspiration vs Stent Retriever for Successful Revascularization (ASTER) study was a randomized, open-label, blinded end-point clinical trial conducted in 8 comprehensive stroke centers in France (October 2015-October 2016). Patients who presented with acute ischemic stroke and a large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation within 6 hours of symptom onset were included.Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to first-line contact aspiration (n = 192) or first-line stent retriever (n = 189) immediately prior to mechanical thrombectomy.Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with successful revascularization defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2b or 3 at the end of all endovascular procedures. Secondary outcomes included degree of disability assessed by overall distribution of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days, change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 24 hours, all-cause mortality at 90 days, and procedure-related serious adverse events.Results: Among 381 patients randomized (mean age, 69.9 years; 174 women [45.7%]), 363 (95.3%) completed the trial. Median time from symptom onset to arterial puncture was 227 minutes (interquartile range, 180-280 minutes). For the primary outcome, the proportion of patients with successful revascularization was 85.4% (n = 164) in the contact aspiration group vs 83.1% (n = 157) in the stent retriever group (odds ratio, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.68-2.10]; P = .53; difference, 2.4% [95% CI, -5.4% to 9.7%]). For the clinical efficacy outcomes (change in NIHSS score at 24 hours, mRS score at 90 days) and adverse events, there were no significant differences between groups.Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation undergoing thrombectomy, first-line thrombectomy with contact aspiration compared with stent retriever did not result in an increased successful revascularization rate at the end of the procedure.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02523261. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]