Endovascular Therapy for Basilar Artery Occlusion

Basilar artery occlusion is one of the most devastating neurological conditions with high risks of disability and mortality. Despite the overwhelming benefit of endovascular therapy (EVT) in the anterior circulation and observational data supporting the efficacy of EVT in the posterior circulation, evidence from randomized controlled trials in basilar artery occlusion had been lacking until recently. The BEST (Basilar Artery Occlusion Endovascular Intervention Versus Standard Medical Treatment) and BASICS (Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study) randomized trials showed a nonsignificant direction of benefit but failed to demonstrate the superiority of EVT over standard medical therapy in basilar artery occlusion. However, these trials paved the way for 2 subsequent positive trials by highlighting the importance of consecutive recruitment, fast enrollment and avoidance or minimization of cross-over. The recently completed ATTENTION (Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion) and BAOCHE (Basilar Artery Occlusion Chinese Endovascular Trial) trials showed that EVT is beneficial for basilar artery occlusion within 24 hours of onset, with a treatment effect similar to what has been shown in anterior circulation large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke. In this topical review, we examine and contextualize the current evidence on EVT for basilar artery occlusion.