Background: The optimal management of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to tandem occlusion (TO) and underlying carotid dissection (CD) remains unclear.
Objective: We present our multicenter-experience of endovascular treatment (EVT) approach used and outcomes for AIS patients with CD-related TO (CD-TO).
Methods: Consecutive AIS patients underwent EVT for CD-TO at five Italian Neuro-interventional Tertiary Stroke Centers were retrospectively identified. TO from atherosclerosis and other causes of, were excluded from the final analysis. Primary outcome was successful (mTICI 2b-3) and complete reperfusion (mTICI 3); secondary outcome was patients' 3-months functional independence (mRS≤2).
Results: Among 214 AIS patients with TO, 45 presented CD-TO. Median age was 54 years (range 29-86), 82.2% were male. Age <65 years (p < 0.0001), lower baseline NIHSS score (p = 0.0002), and complete circle of Willis (p = 0.0422) were associated with mRS ≤ 2 at the multivariate analysis. Comparisons between antegrade and retrograde approaches resulted in differences for baseline NIHSS scores (p = 0.001) and number of EVT attempts per-procedure (p = 0.001). No differences in terms of recanalization rates were observed between antegrade and retrograde EVT approaches (p = 0.811) but higher rates of mTICI3 revascularization was observed with the retrograde compared to the antegrade approach (78.6% vs 73.3%), anyway not statistically significant. CD management technique (angioplasty vs aspiration vs emergent stenting) did not correlate with 3-months mRS≤2.
Conclusion: AIS patients with CD-TO were mostly treated with the retrograde approach with lower number of attempts per-procedure but it offered similar recanalization rates compared with the antegrade approach. Emergent carotid artery stenting (CAS) proved to be safe for CD management but it does not influence 3-months patients' clinical outcomes.
Keywords: Endovascular; Internal carotid artery dissection; Interventional; Ischemic stroke; Stroke; Tandem occlusion; Thrombectomy.