The hypoperfusion volume has a strong predictive value for hemorrhagic transformation in acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation occlusion after endovascular thrombectomy.

Abstract

Objective: It remains unclear whether hypoperfusion volume elevates the risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aims to investigate the association between hypoperfusion volume and HT after EVT.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively recruited AIS patients with anterior circulation occlusion after receiving EVT from January 2021 to May 2024. The pre-EVT hypoperfusion volume was assessed using computed tomography perfusion, with a hypoperfusion area defined as time-to-maximum > 6s. Multivariable analysis determined whether the hypoperfusion volume served as an independent predictor of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and its predictive value was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results: A total of 115 patients were analyzed, with 55 (47.8%) having ICH and 16 (13.9%) experiencing sICH. The median age was 67, and 28.6% were female. The median core infarct volume was 4.3 ml, and the median hypoperfusion volume was 112.8 ml. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the hypoperfusion volume remained independently correlated with sICH (OR = 1.008, 95% CI = 1.001-1.015, P = 0.018) and ICH (OR = 1.006, 95% CI = 1.001-1.012, P = 0.033). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the hypoperfusion volume effectively predicted sICH [(area under the curve (AUC) = 0.702] or ICH (AUC = 0.643).

Conclusion: The hypoperfusion volume has a strong predictive value for sICH and ICH in AIS patients with anterior circulation occlusion after EVT. This underscores the necessity of assessing the hypoperfusion volume before EVT, particularly for patients with smaller core infarct volumes in AIS.