Collateral vessels on magnetic resonance angiography in endovascular-treated acute ischemic stroke patients associated with clinical outcomes

PURPOSE: Collateral vessels were considered to be related with outcome in endovascular-treated acute ischemic stroke patients. This study aimed to evaluate whether the collateral vessels on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) could predict the clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acute stroke patients with internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery occlusion within 6 hours of symptom onset were included. All patients underwent MRI and received endovascular treatment. The collateral circulations at the Sylvian fissure and the leptomeningeal convexity were evaluated. The preoperative and postoperative infarct volume was measured. The clinical outcome was evaluated by mRS score at 3 months after stroke. RESULTS: Of 55 patients, Cases with insufficient collateral circulation at the Sylvian fissure and leptomeningeal convexity showed that the NIHSS score at arrival and preoperative infarct volume were significantly lower in mRS score of 0–2 (both P < 0.05) than mRS score of 3–6. Multivariate testing revealed age and collateral status at the leptomeningeal convexity were independent of the clinical outcome at 3 months after stroke (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.094 (1.025–1.168); 9.542 (1.812–50.245) respectively). The change of infarct volume in the group with mRS score of 0–2 was smaller than that with mRS score of 3–6. While multivariate logistic models showed that postoperative infarct volume was non-significant in predicting the clinical outcome after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of collateral circulation at the leptomeningeal convexity may be useful for predicting the functional recovery while the relationship between postoperative infarct volume and clinical outcome still requires for further study.