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Admission Phenotype Clarifies the Apparent Prognostic Contrast Between TOAST Etiologic Subtypes in Large-Core
Chengsong Yue1,2, Shihai Yang2, Xiongxiong Hou3
1Department of Neurology, No. 924 Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of Chinese PLA, GuangXi, China.
Insights
Prognostic differences between large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and cardioembolism (CE) stroke etiologies in large-vessel occlusion (LVO) are explained by clinical-imaging profiles. These factors, not etiology alone, should guide hyperacute endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) selection.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Interventional Neurology
- Stroke Medicine
Background:
- Large-vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke prognosis varies by etiology, specifically large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) versus cardioembolism (CE).
- Admission clinical-imaging profiles complicate the interpretation of prognostic differences between LAA and CE.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if prognostic differences between LAA and CE persist after adjusting for clinical and imaging factors in anterior circulation LVO.
- To investigate whether the association between endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) and patient outcomes differs based on stroke etiology (LAA vs. CE).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 631 patients with ASPECTS ≤ 5 from the MAGIC registry.
- Comparison of outcomes between 404 patients treated with EVT plus medical therapy and 227 treated with medical therapy alone.
- Use of mixed-effects models to assess etiology-outcome associations and treatment-by-etiology interactions; Shapley decomposition for EVT-treated patients.
Main Results:
- Crude odds of favorable outcomes (mRS 0-3) were higher with LAA in EVT-treated patients but attenuated after adjustment (aOR 0.92).
- No adjusted prognostic contrast between LAA and CE was observed with medical therapy alone (aOR 1.12).
- Pretreatment factors, particularly imaging and collateral status, attenuated the LAA-CE prognostic contrast by 96.2% in EVT patients; adjusted odds for mRS 0-2 favored CE (aOR 0.46).
Conclusions:
- Admission clinical-imaging phenotypes explain the apparent prognostic differences between LAA and CE in LVO.
- These findings support using established clinical-imaging criteria for hyperacute EVT selection, rather than relying solely on LAA versus CE etiology.
- Reconciliation of discordant findings across EVT cohorts is facilitated by considering these phenotypes.
Objective:
In large-core anterior-circulation large-vessel occlusion (LVO), differing admission clinical-imaging profiles complicate interpretation of prognostic differences between large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and cardioembolism (CE). We assessed whether these differences persisted after adjustment and whether endovascular thrombectomy (EVT)-outcome associations differed by etiology.
Methods:
We analyzed 631 patients with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) ≤ 5 from the 38-center MAGIC registry; 404 underwent EVT plus medical therapy and 227 received medical therapy alone. The primary outcome was 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-3. Mixed-effects models assessed etiology-outcome associations and treatment-by-etiology interaction. Among EVT-treated patients, Shapley decomposition quantified domain contributions to attenuation of the LAA-CE contrast.
Results:
Among EVT-treated patients, higher crude odds of mRS 0-3 with LAA (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.05-2.42) were substantially attenuated after adjustment (aOR 0.92, 95% CI 0.53-1.59). No adjusted LAA-CE contrast was evident with medical therapy alone (aOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.47-2.65). In a separate fixed-effects decomposition model, the absolute log-odds contrast was attenuated by 96.2% after inclusion of measured pretreatment domains, with imaging/collateral features, demographics, and stroke severity contributing most. For the secondary mRS 0-2 outcome, adjusted odds favored CE (aOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.84). No treatment-by-etiology interaction was detected (p = 0.944).
Interpretation:
Admission clinical-imaging phenotype clarified the apparent LAA-CE prognostic contrast and may help reconcile discordant findings across EVT cohorts. These findings reinforce established clinical-imaging criteria as the basis for hyperacute EVT selection rather than LAA versus CE etiology alone.
Trial Registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR.org.cn); ChiCTR2100051664; https://www.chictr.org.cn/.
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