Clinical prognoses of acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion by endovascular treatment

Objective To investigate the clinical prognoses of acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion by endovascular treatment and the risk factors for poor prognosis. Methods Clinical data of 43 patients with acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion who underwent endovascular treatment in our hospital from August 2016 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The immediate revascularization rate and clinical outcomes three months after surgery were analyzed; and according to the clinical prognoses, these patients were divided into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the NIHSS scores, times from onset to vessel recanalization, improved post-circulation CT scale of Alberta stroke project based on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI-PC-ASPECTS) scores, and MR angiography-basilar artery on computed tomography angiography prognostic scalere for basilar artery occlusion (MRA-BATMAN) scores to predict the prognoses. Univariate Logistic regression analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the relations of times from onset to vessel recanalization, NIHSS scores, DWI-PC-ASPECTS scores, and MRA-BATMAN scores with poor prognosis. Results Forty-three patients (100%) achieved thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grading 3/2b immediately after surgery. The mRS scores were 0-2 in 26 patients (60.5%, good prognosis group), and those were 3-6 in 17 patients (39.5%, poor prognosis group) three months after surgery. When the NIHSS scores was 21, times from onset to vessel recanalization was 600 min, DWI-PC-ASPECTS predictive threshold was 8.5 and MRA-BATMAN predictive threshold was 6.5, the diagnostic accuracy of predicting poor prognosis was the highest (sensitivity=0.941, 0.706, 0.808, and 0.577, and specificity=0.846, 0.423, 0.647, and 0.824). Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative NIHSS scores≥21, improved DWI-PC-ASPECTS scores≤8.5, and MRA-BATMAN scores≤6.5 were risk factors for poor prognosis (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative NIHSS scores≥21 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis (OR=15.679, 95%CI: 1.608-152.879, P=0.000). Conclusion Intravascular treatment of acute vertebral basilar artery occlusion is safe and effective, and the patients with preoperative NIHSS scores≥21 are highly likely to have poor prognosis. Key words: Vertebral basilar artery; Large vessel occlusion; Endovascular treatment; Risk factor