Endovascular treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion: a single center retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Endovascular treatment (EVT) is now considered the gold standard for select patient populations with anterior circulation stroke; however, data on the treatment of posterior circulation stroke are less clear. This study aims to determine the characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of EVT for patients with acute BAO in a high-volume stroke center. METHODS: This study included 187 consecutive patients with acute BAO who underwent EVT from January 2012 to July 2018 in the Beijing Tiantan Hospital. The baseline characteristics, procedure parameters, and functional outcome were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 187 patients, 138 (73.8%) underwent mechanical thrombectomy with a stent retriever, 33 (17.6%) underwent direct intracranial angioplasty (balloon dilation and/or stent implantation) for underlying severe intracranial atherosclerotic disease, and 91 (48.7%) underwent combined mechanical thrombectomy and angioplasty. Successful recanalization [modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade 2b-3] was achieved in 158 patients (84.5%). Overall, the rates of functional independence [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2] and favorable outcome (mRS 0–3) at 90 days were 36.4 and 49.2%, respectively, and 90-day all-cause mortality was 20.3%. CONCLUSION: EVT was effective and safe for treating patients with acute BAO.