Posterior circulation acute stroke prognosis early CT scores in predicting functional outcomes: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke exhibit varied clinical presentations and functional outcomes. Whether posterior circulation acute stroke prognosis early computed tomography scores (PC-ASPECTS) predict unfavorable functional outcomes (UFO) for patients treated with different therapeutic regimens is unclear. METHODS: According to PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic search of electronic databases for studies assessing the functional outcomes of posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke using baseline PC-ASPECTS. The following three scales of PC-ASPECTS were retrieved: UFO prediction by using PC-ASPECTS per score decrease, UFO prediction by using binary PC-ASPECTS with a cut-off value, and the difference in PC-ASPECTS between patients with unfavorable and favorable functional outcomes. Moreover, a subgroup analysis was conducted for patients treated with intra-arterial endovascular treatment (IA-EVT) only. Sensitivity analysis with different definition of UFO and image modalities were also conducted. RESULTS: In total, 25 studies were included. In scale 1, PC-ASPECTS significantly predicted UFO (odds ratio [OR]: 1.66 per score decrease, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32–2.07). In scale 2, binary PC-ASPECTS with a cut-off value between 6 and 9 significantly predicted UFO (OR: 3.91, 95% CI: 2.54–6.01). In scale 3, patients with UFO had lower PC-ASPECTS than those with favorable outcomes (standardized mean difference [SMD]: −0.67, 95% CI: −0.8 to −0.55). For patients treated with IA-EVT only, the scales demonstrated consistent results. Sensitivity analysis showed PC-ASPECTS significantly predicted UFO in both definitions of modified Rankin Scale ≥ 3 and ≥ 4, and magnetic resonance imaging was preferred imaging modality for PC-ASPECTS evaluation. CONCLUSION: Baseline PC-ASPECTS is effective in predicting UFO for patients with posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke treated with different therapeutic regimens.