Unexplained early neurological deterioration after endovascular treatment for acute large vessel occlusion: incidence, predictors, and clinical impact: Data from ANGEL-ACT registry

Background Early neurological deterioration (END) may occur in some patients with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular treatment (EVT). Despite several clear causes of END, such as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, failure of recanalization, and intraprocedure complications, a particular END, termed unexplained END (END unexplained ), exists. We aimed to investigate the incidence, independent predictors, and clinical impact of END unexplained after EVT in patients with acute LVO. Methods Subjects were selected from the ANGEL-ACT registry. END unexplained was defined as ≥4-point increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between baseline and 24 hours after EVT, without the causes listed above. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent predictors of END unexplained , as well as the association between END unexplained and 90-day outcomes assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Results Among the 1557 enrolled patients, the incidence of END unexplained was 4.3% (67/1557). Admission NIHSS ≤8 (OR=6.88, 95% CI 3.86 to 12.26, p<0.001), general anesthesia (OR=3.15, 95% CI 1.81 to 5.48, p<0.001), admission neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio >5 (OR=2.82, 95% CI 1.61 to 4.94, p<0.001), and number of EVT attempts >3 (OR=2.11, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.89, p=0.018) were associated independently with a high risk of END unexplained . Furthermore, patients with END unexplained were associated with a shift toward worse 90-day outcomes (mRS 5 vs 3, common OR=5.24, 95% CI 3.22 to 8.52, p<0.001). Conclusions END unexplained associated with poor 90day outcomes occurred in 4.3% of patients with acute LVO undergoing EVT. Several independent predictors of END unexplained were identified in this study, which should be considered in daily practice to improve acute LVO management. Clinical trial Registration http://wwwclinicaltrialsgov NCT03370939 .