Gadolinium leakage into ocular structures as a marker in stroke: A retrospective analysis of the WAKE-UP trial

Blood-brain barrier disruption in acute ischemic stroke is a well described phenomenon associated with hemorrhagic complications. The hyperintense acute reperfusion marker (HARM) represents gadolinium leakage in the cerebrospinal fluid. Gadolinium leakage into ocular structures (GLOS) might represent a dysfunction of the blood-ocular barrier. We aimed to investigate the presence of GLOS in the WAKE-UP trial and its association with HARM, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and functional outcome.

Randomized patients from the WAKE-UP trial who underwent dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion weighted imaging at baseline and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging at both baseline and follow-up, were included. We studied the association between GLOS with baseline and outcome variables.

We were able to analyze the data of 192/503 (38%) randomized WAKE-UP patients. GLOS was detected in 56 (29%) cases, four times more frequently than HARM (7%). GLOS positive patients were older (73 vs 65 years; p < 0.01), had a lower glomerular infiltration rate (GFR 79.5 vs 87.2 mL/min; p = 0.01), higher white matter hyperintensity volume (15.0 vs 9.9 mL; p < 0.01), less often presented with a large vessel occlusion (27% vs 44%; p = 0.02) and HARM was more often observed (9/56 vs 4/136; p = 0.01). In multivariable analysis the presence of GLOS was not associated with HT nor poor functional outcome (modified Rankin scale 3-6).

GLOS is a relatively common finding in acute ischemic stroke patients and is associated with older age, worse renal function, increased white matter hyperintensity burden and HARM but not with HT or functional outcome.