Does the Brush-Sign Reflect Collateral Status and DWI-ASPECTS in Large Vessel Occlusion?

The relevance of the brush-sign remained poorly documented in large vessel occlusion (LVO). We aimed to assess the relationship between the brush-sign and collateral status and its potential impact on baseline diffusion-weighted imaging-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI-ASPECTS) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients eligible to mechanical thrombectomy (MT).

Consecutive patients admitted in the Lyon Stroke Center with anterior circulation AIS due to intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or M1 or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion eligible for MT were included. The brush-sign was assessed on T2-gradient-echo MRI. Collateral status was assessed on digital subtraction angiography according to the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology (ASITN/SIR) score.

In this study, 504 patients were included, among which 171 (33.9%) patients had a brush-sign. Patients with a brush-sign more frequently had a poor collateral status [72 (42.1%) vs. 103 (30.9%); p = 0.017]. In univariable analysis, a DWI-ASPECTS < 7 was associated with a brush sign. Following multivariable analysis, the brush-sign no longer affected DWI-ASPECTS < 7 while the latter remained associated with younger age [odds ratio (OR) 0.97, 95% CI.96-0.99], male sex (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.08-2.99), a higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.1-1.21), a poor collateral status (OR 9.35, 95% CI 5.59-16.02), MCA segment (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.25-5.38), and intracranial ICA (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.16-8) occlusion.

The brush-sign may be a marker of poor collateral status but did not independently predict a lower DWI-ASPECTS.

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04620642.