Incidence and Natural History of Pediatric Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke: A Population Study
Kartik D Bhatia1,2,3, Romain Briest4, Robert Goetti1
1Department of Medical Imaging, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia.
Insights
Large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in children has a poor natural history when treated conservatively. Most pediatric LVO stroke patients present within time windows suitable for thrombectomy, offering a potential treatment avenue.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Stroke Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in children is poorly understood, hindering effective treatment strategies.
- Knowledge gaps impact the efficiency of pediatric acute stroke care pathways and reperfusion therapy uptake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and natural history of large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in pediatric patients.
- To assess outcomes for pediatric LVO stroke and identify potential treatment windows.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective population-based cohort study in New South Wales, Australia (2010-2019).
- Included pediatric patients (1 month to <17 years) with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS).
- Analyzed data on LVO presence, treatment (thrombectomy vs. conservative), and 3-month outcomes (pediatric modified Rankin Scale).
Main Results:
- The incidence of pediatric LVO stroke was 0.24 per 100,000 patient-years.
- Patients with LVO treated conservatively had significantly worse outcomes (OR, 3.64) compared to non-LVO stroke.
- A majority of LVO patients (89.7%) presented within 24 hours, with 69.2% within 6 hours, suitable for thrombectomy.
Conclusions:
- The natural history of pediatric LVO stroke treated conservatively is poor, often resulting in severe disability or death.
- Pediatric LVO stroke patients frequently present within therapeutic time windows for mechanical thrombectomy.
- These findings underscore the importance of timely reperfusion therapies in pediatric LVO stroke management.
Importance:
The incidence and natural history of large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in children is largely unknown. These knowledge gaps limit the uptake of reperfusion therapies and reduce the efficiency of pediatric acute stroke pathways.
Objective:
To determine the incidence and natural history of pediatric LVO stroke.
Design, Setting, And Participants:
This retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted between January 2010 and December 2019, with a mean (SD) follow-up of 37.0 (28.8) months. Admissions from all pediatric hospitals in the state of New South Wales, Australia, with a final diagnosis of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in patients 1 month to younger than 17 years were included. A total of 85 of 251 identified cases were excluded based on selection criteria. Data were analyzed from July 2020 to June 2021.
Exposures:
One-third of patients with LVO received mechanical thrombectomy with or without intravenous thrombolysis while the remainder were treated conservatively.
Main Outcomes And Measures:
The primary outcome was the pediatric modified Rankin Scale (ped-mRS) score 3 months after stroke. Ordinal logistic regression was used to compare non-LVO, LVO without thrombectomy, and LVO with thrombectomy groups.
Results:
Of 161 included patients, 56 (34.8%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 6.1 (5.4) years. A total of 166 AIS admissions were studied, and clinical follow-up was available for 164 of 166 admissions. LVO was present in 39 admissions (23.5%). The incidence of LVO stroke was 0.24 per 100 000 patients per year (95% CI, 0.13-0.35). Patients with LVO who did not receive thrombectomy (n = 26) had poor neurological outcomes, with 19 (73.1%) experiencing moderate to severe disability or death (ped-mRS score of 3 to 6) at 3 months (6 of 12 patients receiving thrombectomy [50.0%]; 25 of 38 patients with LVO [65.8%]). Patients with LVO without thrombectomy had significantly worse clinical outcomes than patients with non-LVO at 3 months (odds ratio, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.68-7.87; P = .001). Most patients with LVO presented within time windows suitable for thrombectomy (27 of 39 [69.2%] within 6 hours; 35 of 39 [89.7%] within 24 hours).
Conclusions And Relevance:
In this population-based cohort study, the natural history of pediatric patients with LVO stroke treated conservatively was poor, with most experiencing lifelong disability or death. Nearly 90% of pediatric patients with LVO presented within time windows suitable for thrombectomy.
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