Clinical Outcomes of Valvular versus Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Anterior Circulation Occlusive Stroke Undergoing Endovascular Treatment.

Background: Thrombectomy is the first choice for cardioembolism due to atrial fibrillation (AF), however, whether valvular AF and nonvalvular AF had different safety and functional outcomes has not been reported yet. We aimed to investigate the differences between patients with valvular AF and patients with nonvalvular AF on safety and functional outcomes in acute large artery occlusion undergoing thrombectomy.

Methods: Valvular AF refers to patients with mitral stenosis or artificial heart valves and valve repair. Rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage [sICH], modified Rankin Scale Score (mRS), and death at 90 days were compared between valvular AF and nonvalvular AF groups. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors for unfavorable functional outcome (mRS 3-6).

Results: 18.8% (51/271) of AF were valvular AF. The valvular AF group had significantly higher proportion of mRS 0-2 (49% [25/51] versus 33.3% [73/219], P = .04) and less death (21.6% [11/51] versus 38.4% [84/219], P = .02) comparing with nonvalvular AF group. The rates of sICH between both groups were nonsignificantly different (21.5% [47/219] for nonvalvular AF versus 13.7% [7/51] for valvular AF, P = .46). Valvular AF was not an independent predictor for unfavorable functional outcome (odds ratio .67, 95% confidence interval: .24-1.84) with age, collateral flow, chronic heart failure, NIHSS at admission, recanalization status, glucose at admission, occlusion site, ASPECTS, and ICH as covariates.

Conclusions: Valvular AF and nonvalvular AF have similar safety and functional outcomes in patients with acute anterior circulation large artery occlusion undergoing thrombectomy.