Multimodal 3 Tesla MRI Confirms Intact Arterial Wall in Acute Stroke Patients After Stent-Retriever Thrombectomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective study was to assess vascular integrity after stent-retriever thrombectomy. METHODS: Dissection, contrast medium extravasation, and vasospasm were evaluated in 23 patients after thrombectomy with biplane or 3D-digital subtraction angiography and 3-Tesla vessel wall MRI. RESULTS: Vasospasm was detected angiographically in 10 patients, necessitating intra-arterial nimodipine in 2 of them. Contrast extravasation, intramural hemorrhage, or iatrogenic dissection were not detected on multimodal MRI in any patient even after Y-double stent-retriever technique. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that clinically relevant vessel wall injuries occur rarely after stent-retriever thrombectomy.