Outcomes of Endovascular Therapy in Young Patients with Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: A Substudy of BASILAR Registry Study

This study aimed to investigate clinical outcomes in young patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) receiving endovascular therapy (EVT).

Consecutive patients with BAO within 24 h who underwent EVT from the BASILAR Registry study were enrolled. We compared clinical outcomes of young patients (aged 18-55 years) with older patients (aged > 55 years) with stroke due to BAO at 90 days and 1 year after EVT. The primary and secondary outcomes were improvement in modified Rankin scale scores (mRS) at 90 days and either favorable (mRS 0-3) or mortality at 90 days, respectively.

A total of 646 patients were included, of which 152 (23.53%) were aged 18-55 years. Dyslipidemia (42.11% vs. 30.36%, p = 0.007) and good collateral circulation (60.52% vs. 46.35%, p = 0.002) were more frequent in young patients than older. Stroke etiologies in young patients included large artery atherosclerosis (67.11%), cardioembolism (15.13%), and vessel dissection (5.26%). Young patients were associated with better prognosis (mRS: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-2.48; mRS 0-3: aOR 1.60; 95% CI 1.01-2.54; mortality: aOR 0.60; 95% CI 0.38-0.93) at 90 days. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, posterior circulation Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (pc-ASPECTS), and sex were independent predictors of clinical outcomes of young patients at 90 days after EVT.

Young patients with BAO had better clinical outcomes after EVT than old patients. Predictors of clinical outcomes in young patients undergoing EVT included baseline NIHSS score, pc-ASPECTS, and sex.

Clinical Trial Registration-URL: ChiCTR180001475 ( www.chictr.org.cn ).