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Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Impact of diffusion-weighted imaging Alberta stroke program early computed tomography score on the success of
Manabu Inoue1, Jean-Marc Olivot1, Julien Labreuche1
1From the Department of Neurology, Stanford Stroke Center, Stanford University Medical Center, CA (M.I., J.-M.O., M. Mlynash); Department of Neurology, Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, France (J.-M.O., J.-F.A.); Department of Neurology and Stroke Centre, Bichat University Hospital, APHP, Paris, France (E.M., P.A., M. Mazighi); INSERM U-1148, Laboratory of Vascular Translational Science and Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France (J.L., E.M., P.A., M. Mazighi); and Department of Biostatistics, EA2694, UDSL, Université Lille Nord de France, CHU Lille, France (J.L.).
Background And Purpose:
In acute ischemic stroke patients treated by intravenous thrombolysis, a diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) is an independent factor of functional outcomes. Our aim was to assess the impact of pretreatment DWI-ASPECTS on outcomes after endovascular therapy, with a specific emphasis on recanalization.
Methods:
We analyzed data collected between April 2007 and March 2013 in a prospective clinical registry of acute ischemic stroke patients treated by endovascular approach. Every patient with a documented internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery occlusion who underwent an acute DWI-MRI before treatment was eligible for this study. The primary outcome was a favorable outcome defined by modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2 at 90 days.
Results:
Two hundred ten patients were included and median DWI-ASPECTS was 7 (interquartile range, 4-8). DWI-ASPECTS≥5 was the optimal threshold to predict a favorable outcome (area under the curve=0.69; sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 38%). In a multivariate analysis including confounding variables, the adjusted odds ratio for favorable outcomes associated with a DWI-ASPECTS of ≥5 was 5.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.86-13.77; P=0.002). Nonetheless, the occurrence of a complete recanalization was associated with an increased rate of favorable outcomes in patients with DWI-ASPECTS under 5 (50% versus 3%, P<0.001).
Conclusions:
DWI-ASPECTS≥5 seems to be the optimal threshold to predict favorable outcomes among patients undergoing endovascular reperfusion within 6 hours. Selected patients with a DWI-ASPECTS of <5 may still benefit when a complete reperfusion is achieved.
