Background and purpose: We aimed to compare outcome of endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke in patients with and without cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
Methods: We included patients with and without possible or probable CAA based on the modified Boston criteria from an observational multicenter cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke and endovascular thrombectomy, the German Stroke Registry Endovascular Treatment trial. We analyzed baseline characteristics, procedural parameters, and functional outcome after 90 days.
Results: Twenty-eight (17.3%) of 162 acute ischemic stroke patients were diagnosed with CAA based on iron-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging performed before endovascular thrombectomy. CAA patients were less likely to have a good 90-day outcome (14.3 versus 37.8%). National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88; P<0.001), successful recanalization (adjusted odds ratio 6.82; P=0.005), and CAA (adjusted odds ratio 0.28; P=0.049) were independent outcome predictors. Intravenous thrombolysis was associated with an increased rate of good outcome (36.3% versus 0%, P=0.031) in CAA.
Conclusions: Endovascular thrombectomy with or without thrombolysis appears beneficial in acute ischemic stroke patients with possible or probable CAA, but is associated with a worse functional outcome.
Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03356392.
Keywords: cerebral amyloid angiopathy; ischemic stroke; magnetic resonance imaging; prognosis; thrombectomy.