Recanalization for Symptomatic Non-acute Intracranial Large Vessel Occlusion: An Observational Study.

Aim: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of endovascular revascularization for symptomatic non-acute atherosclerotic intracranial LVO.

Methods: For non-acute atherosclerotic intracranial large vessel occlusion (LVO), despite aggressive medical treatment, recurrent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack related to the occluded artery still occurs repeatedly. This retrospective cohort study included stroke patients with intracranial LVO who received endovascular treatment (EVT), categorized by successful recanalization and the time interval from symptom onset to revascularization (＜30 days vs. ≥ 30 days). The primary efficacy outcome was stroke recurrence or mortality at the 6-month follow-up.

Results: Of the 264 patients in the study, 229 (87%) had successful recanalization, while 35 (13%) did not. In addition, 139 patients had recanalization times ≤ 30 days, and 125 had recanalization times ＞30 days. The successful recanalization group had a significantly lower rate of stroke recurrence or death during follow-up than the unsuccessful group (9.6% vs. 31.4%, adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 4.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86 -13.37; P = 0.001). The group with a recanalization time ≤ 30 days also demonstrated a significantly lower rate of stroke recurrence or death during follow-up than the group with a recanalization time ＞30 days (7.9% vs.17.6%, P = 0.015). In addition, the rate of a favorable prognosis (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0-2) during the follow-up period was significantly higher in the successful recanalization group than in the successful recanalization group (71.1% vs. 51.4%, P = 0.021).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that successful recanalization may have therapeutic potential for patients with non-acute intracranial large-vessel occlusion, particularly for those with LVO recanalization lasting ＜30 days, who show more significant benefits than those with longer-lasting recanalization [please check this carefully].