Effects of Periprocedural Tirofiban vs. Oral Antiplatelet Drug Therapy on Posterior Circulation Infarction in Patients With Acute Intracranial Atherosclerosis-Related Vertebrobasilar Artery Occlusion

Xuan Sun; Huijun Zhang; Xu Tong; Feng Gao; Gaoting Ma; Zhongrong Miao

doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00254

Effects of Periprocedural Tirofiban vs. Oral Antiplatelet Drug Therapy on Posterior Circulation Infarction in Patients With Acute Intracranial Atherosclerosis-Related Vertebrobasilar Artery Occlusion

Front Neurol. 2020 Apr 15:11:254. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00254. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Xuan Sun¹, Huijun Zhang², Xu Tong¹, Feng Gao¹, Gaoting Ma¹, Zhongrong Miao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Interventional Neuroadiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Neurology, Tong Ren Hospital Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Tirofiban and oral antiplatelet drugs can be used to inhibit reocclusion and restore microvascular reperfusion during endovascular treatment (EVT). This study compared recanalization rates, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), 90 day mortality, and functional outcomes between periprocedural tirofiban and antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute intracranial atherosclerosis-related vertebrobasilar artery occlusion. Methods: A total of 105 consecutive patients with acute intracranial atherosclerosis-related vertebrobasilar artery occlusion who underwent EVT + tirofiban + oral antiplatelet or EVT + oral antiplatelet therapy at the Beijing Tiantan Hospital between January 2012 and July 2018 were included. Baseline characteristics, procedural parameters, and functional outcomes were assessed. Results: Among the 105 patients, 74 underwent EVT + tirofiban + oral antiplatelet therapy, while 31 underwent EVT + oral antiplatelet drug therapy. EVT + tirofiban + oral antiplatelet therapy resulted in higher recanalization rates compared to EVT + oral antiplatelet drug therapy (93.24% vs. 77.42%; p = 0.038), whereas the risk for SICH, 90 day mortality, and functional independence outcomes did not differ between the groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that EVT + tirofiban + oral antiplatelet therapy had an increased probability of higher recanalization rates (OR 0.18 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-24.39]; p = 0.025). There were no differences in SICH (OR 0.00 [95% CI 0.00-Inf]; p = 0.998), 90 day mortality (OR 1.19 [95% CI 0.17-4.05]; p = 0.826), or functional independence (modified Rankin score 0 to ≤ 2) (OR 1.43 [95% CI 0.23-2.17]; p = 0.538) between the groups. Conclusions: Ninety day functional outcomes of EVT + tirofiban + oral antiplatelet therapy were not superior to those of EVT + oral antiplatelet drug therapy; however, the recanalization rate was higher and the risks for SICH and 90 day mortality were lower.

Keywords: antiplatelet; endovascular treatment; intracranial atherosclerosis-related vertebrobasilar artery occlusion; tirofiban; vertebrobasilar artery occlusion.