Emergency Angioplasty or Stenting for Stroke Patients with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Large Vessel Occlusion

Aim: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the gold standard for the treatment of large vessel occlusion (LVO) in acute ischemic stroke. However, it remains controversial whether emergency angioplasty or stenting in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) should be adopted. Thus, we performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data to determine whether emergency angioplasty or stenting is necessary. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients undergoing MT with ICAS-related LVO of the acute anterior circulation between 2017 and 2019. Eligible patients were divided into two treatment groups: those who received rescue angioplasty or stenting [Patients treated with rescue angioplasty or stenting (PTAS) group] and those who received thrombectomy alone (non-PTAS group). The primary outcomes were good prognosis at 90 days (mRS: 0–2). Mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and reocclusion rate were evaluated as secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 184 patients with severe stenosis after MT were enrolled, including 64 patients receiving rescue angioplasty or stenting and 120 patients without rescue angioplasty or stenting. Compared with the non-PTAS group, a better functional outcome (mRS0-2) (51.6% vs. 35.0%, adjusted odds ratio: 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–4.29;P=0.02), lower 7-day National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [6 (3–12.75) vs. 10 (4–16);P=0.04], lower 24-h neurological deterioration rate (7.8% vs. 21.7%,P=0.02), and lower 24-h reocclusion rate were observed in the PTAS group (6.3% vs. 17.5%,P=0.03). There were no significant differences in mortality or incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusion: Emergency angioplasty or stenting could be a safe and feasible therapeutic option with better outcomes for stroke patients with ICAS-related LVO.