Publications by authors named "Guenego A"

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) presents unique treatment challenges. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is emerging as a viable option for these patients, yet the role of pre-stroke aspirin treatment is unclear. This study evaluates the impact of pre-stroke low-dose aspirin on outcomes in DMVO patients undergoing MT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Current randomized controlled trials are investigating the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke. Whether best medical management (MM) is more efficient than unsuccessful vessel recanalization during MT remains unknown.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using data from 37 academic centers across North America, Asia, and Europe between September 2017 and July 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Prolonged length of stay (LOS) following a stroke is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Factors predicting LOS in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO), impacting up to 40% of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) cases, remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate the predictors of LOS in AIS-MeVO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The cerebral blood volume index (CBV index) is a perfusion-based marker of collateral status. Several real-world data analyses from observational stroke cohorts have established relationships between this parameter and a range of favorable and unfavorable stroke outcomes. In this review, an overview is provided of the CBV index, within the context of thrombectomy-treated large vessel and medium vessel occlusion ischemic strokes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) efficacy in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke, particularly in patients with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS), remains less explored.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 443 AIS patients treated with MT for MeVO and low ASPECTS (4-7) at 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe, from September 2017 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into ASPECTS of 4-5 and 6-7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Prolonged venous transit (PVT), derived from computed tomography perfusion (CTP) time-to-maximum (T) maps, reflects compromised venous outflow (VO) in acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO). Poor VO is associated with worse clinical outcomes, but pre-treatment markers predictive of PVT are not well described.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 189 patients with anterior circulation AIS-LVO who underwent baseline CT evaluation, including non-contrast CT, CT angiography, and CTP.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Data about the safety and the efficacy of flow diversion for distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) aneurysms are limited. We present the largest multicenter analysis evaluating the outcomes of flow diversion in unruptured DACA aneurysm treatment.

Methods: Databases from 39 centers were retrospectively reviewed for unruptured DACA aneurysms treated with flow-diverting stents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) remains a leading cause of disability despite successful reperfusion therapies. Prolonged venous transit (PVT) has emerged as a potential prognostic imaging biomarker in AIS-LVO. We aimed to investigate whether PVT is associated with a decreased likelihood of excellent functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score of 0-1 at 90 days) after successful reperfusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) versus best medical therapy (BMT) for isolated anterior cerebral artery occlusions (ACAo) in acute stroke patients.
  • The analysis involved 108 patients from various countries, comparing outcomes like functional independence at 90 days, with results showing no significant difference in success rates between EVT and BMT.
  • Conclusions indicate that while EVT had a high success rate in procedures, it did not lead to better functional outcomes or lower mortality compared to BMT, suggesting a need for more randomized trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Prolonged venous transit (PVT+) is a marker of venous outflow; it is defined as the presence or absence of time-to-maximum ≥10 seconds timing in either the superior sagittal sinus or torcula. This novel perfusion imaging-based metric has been associated with higher odds of mortality and lower odds of functional recovery. This study aims to assess the relationship between PVT on admission perfusion imaging and length of hospital stay in large vessel occlusion strokes successfully reperfused with mechanical thrombectomy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has shown promise in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for large ischemic core stroke patients, yet variability in core definition and onset-to-imaging time creates heterogeneity in outcomes. This study aims to clarify the prevalence and implications of core-perfusion mismatch (MM) versus no mismatch (No MM) in such patients, utilizing established imaging criteria.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including patients from 7/29/2019 to 1/29/2023, with data extracted from a continuously maintained database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Acute ischemic strokes caused by distal medium vessel occlusions (DMVO) represent a significant proportion of all stroke cases, yet the predictors of excellent functional outcomes in these patients remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify pretreatment computed tomography perfusion (CTP) parameters associated with excellent functional outcomes, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-1 at 90 days, in patients with anterior circulation DMVO.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study involving patients with anterior DMVO, from three stroke centers within the Johns Hopkins Medical Enterprise.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Venous outflow (VO) impairment predicts unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO). Prolonged venous transit (PVT), a visual qualitative VO marker on CT perfusion (CTP) time to maximum (Tmax) maps, has been associated with unfavorable 90-day functional outcomes despite successful reperfusion. This study investigates the association between PVT and percent change on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) among AIS-LVO patients who have undergone successful reperfusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) is a quantitative metric used in vascular occlusion imaging to evaluate the extent of brain tissue at risk due to hypoperfusion. Defined as the ratio of tissue volume with a time-to-maximum (Tmax) of >10 seconds to that of >6 seconds, HIR assists in differentiating between the salvageable penumbra and the irreversibly injured core infarct. This review explores the role of HIR in assessing clinical outcomes and guiding treatment strategies, including mechanical thrombectomy and thrombolytic therapy, for patients with large vessel occlusions (LVOs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: While advances in endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) have led to high reperfusion rates, most patients treated with EVT do not avoid disability. Post-reperfusion hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a potential target for improving outcomes. This study examined pretreatment blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in tissue that would subsequently become part of the final infarct to evaluate its role in post-EVT HT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CT perfusion (CTP) images can be easily and rapidly obtained on all modern CT scanners and have become part of the routine imaging protocol of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH). There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of CTP imaging in these patients, however, there are significant differences in the software packages and methods of analysing CTP. In.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite the proven effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischemic strokes (AIS) involving anterior circulation large vessel occlusions, isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusions (iPCAo) remain underexplored in clinical trials. This study investigates the comparative effectiveness and safety of EVT against medical management (MM) in patients with iPCAo.

Methods: This multinational, multicenter propensity score-weighted study analyzed data from the Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy (MAD-MT) registry, involving 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cerebral vasospasm (CV) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) may lead to morbidity and mortality. Endovascular mechanical angioplasty may be performed if symptomatic CV is refractory to noninvasive medical management. Compliant and noncompliant balloons and manually adjustable mesh may be used in this indication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) and low-to-moderate symptoms (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] < 10) are poorly represented in thrombectomy trials. Our objective is to compare thrombectomy and best medical management (BMT) in this population.

Methods: We compared data of all consecutive patients presenting with an initial NIHSS < 10 and acute symptomatic BAO included in two registries.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify the optimal sizes for middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation aneurysms that are most suitable for treatment with the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device, focusing on aneurysm width and neck dimensions.
  • Using a large retrospective database, the researchers analyzed unruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms and established ideal cutoff values of 6.1 mm for width and 4.6 mm for neck size regarding treatment effectiveness.
  • Findings indicated that aneurysms smaller than these cutoff values had significantly higher rates of occlusion (93% for width and 90% for neck) and lower retreatment rates compared to larger aneurysms, highlighting the importance of
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) strokes, especially in the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery, are a significant challenge in stroke management, necessitating effective prediction of patient outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy (MT).
  • This study analyzed data from the MAD-MT registry to evaluate the relationship between follow-up infarct volume (FIV) and 90-day functional outcomes, using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as a measurement.
  • Results showed that FIV is a strong predictor of outcomes, with specific volume thresholds indicating favorable prognosis; notably, an FIV of ≤15 ml had the best predictive capability, outperforming traditional recanalization scores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness and safety of two treatment methods for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO): intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) versus IVT alone.
  • Data was collected from 37 centers worldwide, involving over 1,000 patients, with the primary focus on functional independence at 90 days and secondary outcomes including mortality and intracerebral hemorrhage.
  • Findings suggest that both treatment options yield similar functional and mortality outcomes for DMVO patients, but the MT-IVT approach carries a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications, indicating that it may not provide significant advantages over IVT alone for every patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ischemic strokes from isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusions, though representing only 5% of strokes, lead to severe quality of life issues due to vision problems and thalamic involvement, highlighting the need for better management guidelines.
  • A study analyzed 32 patients with isolated PCA occlusions to assess the relationship between perfusion imaging parameters and clinical outcomes, using the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at discharge as the primary measure.
  • Results indicated significant correlations between NIHSS scores and perfusion parameters, particularly time-to-maximum (Tmax) and cerebral blood volume (CBV), suggesting that advanced imaging may enhance PCA stroke management, necessitating further validated research in this area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Recent trials show that mechanical thrombectomy is effective for treating acute ischemic stroke, but there's a need for standardized imaging measures to better select patients.
  • This study analyzed data from patients with large vessel occlusion at Johns Hopkins to find the computed tomography perfusion parameter linked to worse outcomes.
  • The results indicated that a cerebral blood volume (CBV) of less than 42% and ischemic cores over 68 mL strongly predicted unfavorable 90-day outcomes, with a high area under the curve, suggesting this threshold could help guide patient selection for treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to create a predictive calculator to determine the chances of achieving adequate occlusion (Raymond-Roy classification 1 or 2) when using the woven endobridge (WEB) device for intracranial aneurysms, drawing from a large dataset.
  • - Analyzed data from 356 patients across 30 centers worldwide revealed that larger aneurysm neck size and partial thrombosis were linked to lower chances of successful occlusion, while the calculator showed good predictive accuracy.
  • - The newly developed tool offers a valuable resource for clinicians to better estimate the success of using the WEB device in treating intracranial aneurysms, helping to enhance patient care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF