Thrombus migration in ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion: a question of time

BACKGROUND: Thrombus migration (TM) is frequently observed in large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke to be treated by endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). TM may impede complete recanalization and hereby worsen clinical outcomes. This study aimed to delineate factors associated with TM and clarify its impact on technical and functional outcome. METHODS: All patients undergoing EVT due to LVO in the anterior circulation at two tertiary stroke centers between October 2015 and December 2020 were included. Source imaging data of all individuals were assessed regarding occurrence of TM by raters blinded to clinical data. Patient data were gathered as part of the German Stroke Registry, a multicenter, prospective registry assessing real-world outcomes. Technical outcome was assessed by modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale (mTICI). Functional outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months. RESULTS: The study consisted of 512 individuals, of which 71 (13.8%) displayed TM. In adjusted analyses, TM was associated with longer time from primary imaging to reassessment in the angio suite (aOR 2.37 (1.47 to 3.84) per logarithmic step) and intravenous thrombolysis (IVT; aOR 4.07 (2.17 to 7.65)). In individuals with IVT, a needle-to-groin time >1 hour was associated with higher odds for TM (aOR 2.60 (1.20 to 5.99)). TM was associated with lack of complete recanalization (aOR(mTICI3) 0.46 (0.24 to 0.90)) but TM did not worsen odds for good clinical outcome (aOR(mRS≤2_d90) 0.89 (0.47 to 1.68)). CONCLUSIONS: TM is associated with IVT and longer time between sequential assessments of thrombus location. Consequently, TM may be of high relevance in patients with drip-and-ship treatment.