Intra-Arterial Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor Treatment for Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis Presenting as Large Vessel Occlusions

Introduction There is no consensus on the optimal treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) large vessel occlusions (LVOs) or near-occlusions with underlying intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). We report the first American series using intra-arterial (IA) glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) as a stand-alone revascularization technique for ICAS presenting with large vessel ischemic syndromes. Methods Records at two centers of 140 patients presenting with AIS undergoing stroke intervention from January 2017 to June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients treated with IA GPIs were identified, and baseline factors, imaging, procedural characteristics, hospital course, and outcomes were collected. Six patients with ICAS underlying their acute symptomatic near occlusion or LVO were treated with IA GPI. Four near-occlusions were treated with IA GPI as the first-line therapy, while two LVOs were treated with IA GPI as an adjunct therapy to thrombectomy. Results The mean age was 61.3 years (range 36-79), presentation National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 10 (4-18), time from last seen well to treatment was 434.5 minutes (164-1290), and time from groin puncture to revascularization was 67.3 minutes (26-94). Three patients received intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and all patients received an IA weight-based GPI infusion. Five patients had thrombolysis in cerebral ischemia (TICI) 3, and one patient had TICI 2b. The mean discharge NIHSS was 2.5 (0-8). The mean modified Rankin scale was 1.3 (range 0-4) at discharge and .8 at three months. No patients had a postprocedural symptomatic hemorrhage. Conclusion Our results highlight the utility of IA GPI administration as the first-line therapy for symptomatic ICAS near occlusions or as a rescue technique after failed thrombectomy for LVO patients suspected of underlying ICAS.