Endovascular Management of Tandem Occlusion Stroke Related to Internal Carotid Artery Dissection Using a Distal to Proximal Approach: Insight from the RECOST Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Internal carotid artery dissection is a common cause of stroke in young adults. It may be responsible for tandem occlusion defined by a cervical steno-occlusive carotid wall hematoma associated with an intracranial large-vessel stroke. Intravenous thrombolysis is associated with a poor clinical outcome in these cases, and endovascular treatment has not been specifically evaluated to date. Our aim was to evaluate endovascular treatment technical and clinical efficiency in this specific occlusion topography, in comparison with treatment of isolated anterior circulation stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of our ongoing prospective stroke data base started in August 2009 (Prognostic Factors Related to Clinical Outcome Following Thrombectomy in Ischemic Stroke [RECOST] Study), we analyzed all carotid artery dissection tandem occlusion strokes and isolated anterior circulation occlusions. All patients were selected for endovascular treatment according to clinical-radiologic mismatch, NIHSS ≥ 7 and DWI-ASPECTS ≥5, within 6 hours after onset. For carotid artery dissection, the revascularization procedure consisted first of distal recanalization by a stent retriever in the intracranial vessel. Following assessment of the circle of Willis, internal carotid artery stent placement was only performed in case of insufficiency. Carotid artery dissection treatment efficacy, safety, and clinical outcome were compared with the results of the isolated anterior circulation occlusion cohort.

RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-eight patients with an anterior circulation stroke were analyzed, including 57 with tandem occlusions (22%); among them, 20 were carotid artery dissection-related occlusions (7.6%). The median age of patients with tandem occlusions with internal carotid dissection was 52.45 versus 66.85 years for isolated anterior circulation occlusion (P < .05); the mean initial NIHSS score was 17.53 ± 4.11 versus 17.55 ± 4.8 (P = .983). The median DWI-ASPECTS was 6.05 versus 6.64 (P = .098), and the average time from onset to puncture was 4.38 for tandem occlusions versus 4.53 hours in isolated anterior circulation occlusion (P = .704). Complication rates and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage were comparable in both groups (5% versus 3%, P = .49). The duration of the procedure was significantly prolonged in case of tandem occlusion (80.69 versus 65.45 minutes, P = .030). Fourteen patients with carotid artery dissection (70%) had a 3-month mRS of ≤ 2, without a significant difference from patients with an isolated anterior circulation occlusion (44%, P = .2). Only 5 carotid artery dissections (25%) necessitated cervical stent placement. No early ipsilateral stroke recurrence was recorded, despite the absence of stent placement in 15 patients (75%) with carotid artery dissection.

CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical endovascular treatment of carotid artery dissection tandem occlusions is safe and effective compared with isolated anterior circulation occlusion stroke therapy. Hence, a more conservative approach with stent placement only in cases of circle of Willis insufficiency may be a reliable and safe strategy.