BALTIMORE – Performing computed tomography angiography (CTA) following noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) to obtain a high-resolution image of the large-vessel occlusion significantly delays the time to thrombectomy.
In clinical practice, omitting CTA in patients whose middle cerebral artery visualized on NCCT reveals the hyperdense sign may speed the time to thrombectomy and improve outcome. The findings of a retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data were presented by Kunakorn Atchaneeyasakul, MD, of the University of Miami, as a poster and a brief oral presentation at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association.
Dr. Kunakorn Atchaneeyasakul
This study retrospectively compared the time from imaging to groin puncture, which is the first step in thrombectomy, in patients who received NCCT followed by CTA with those who received just NCCT for anterior circulation occlusion at the tertiary care University of Miami medical center. Of the 289 patients who received thrombectomy, 255 were excluded because of transfer from another hospital, occurrence of stroke while hospitalized, or use of other imaging prior to thrombectomy.
The remaining 34 patients were all evaluated with thin (0.625-mm) NCCT with automated image reconstruction. Fourteen received NCCT only, and 20 received CTA in addition to NCCT. The two groups were similar in mean age (64-71 years), gender (50% were female in each group), prevalence of hypertension (64% and 70% in the NCCT and NCCT + CTA group, respectively), and prevalence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, smoking, occlusion site, modified Rankin Scale score at discharge, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at presentation and discharge. All 14 NCCT patients received intravenous tPA in contrast to 11 of the 20 (55%) NCCT + CTA patients (P = .003).
The middle cerebral artery was visualized on NCCT in about 85% of patients in each treatment group. Reperfusion was successful in 64% and 80% of patients receiving NCCT and NCCT + CTA, respectively (P = .31).
The total duration of imaging was 2 minutes (range, 1-6) in the NCCT group. The duration was significantly longer in the NCCT + CTA group (28 minutes; range, 23-65; P less than .001). The time from imaging to groin puncture was 68 minutes (range, 32-99) in the NCCT group. This was more than 30 minutes shorter than the NCCT + CTA group (104 minutes; range, 79-128; P = .030).
The times from emergency department admission to NCCT and from admission to groin puncture were similar in both groups.
“Avoiding advanced imaging in patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion in whom thin-section NCCT with maximum-intensity projections reveals a hyperdense sign significantly shortens the imaging to groin puncture time,” concluded Dr. Atchaneeyasakul.
In the scenario, the detection of hyperdense middle cerebral artery would fast track the patient to the angiography suite, forgoing CTA. The result, according to Dr. Atchaneeyasakul, could alleviate a delay in thrombectomy, which could better preserve brain function.
Funding information was not provided.