Normative distribution of posterior circulation tissue time-to-maximum: Effects of anatomic variation, tracer kinetics, and implications for patient selection in posterior circulation ischemic stroke

The generalization of perfusion-based, anterior circulation large vessel occlusion selection criteria to posterior circulation stroke is not straightforward due to physiologic delay, which we posit produces physiologic prolongation of the posterior circulation perfusion time-to-maximum (Tmax). To as...

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Published inJournal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism Vol. 41; no. 8; pp. 1912 - 1923
Main Authors Goldman-Yassen, Adam E, Straka, Matus, Uhouse, Michael, Dehkharghani, Seena
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.08.2021
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ISSN0271-678X
1559-7016
1559-7016
DOI10.1177/0271678X20982395

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Summary:The generalization of perfusion-based, anterior circulation large vessel occlusion selection criteria to posterior circulation stroke is not straightforward due to physiologic delay, which we posit produces physiologic prolongation of the posterior circulation perfusion time-to-maximum (Tmax). To assess normative Tmax distributions, patients undergoing CTA/CTP for suspected ischemic stroke between 1/2018-3/2019 were retrospectively identified. Subjects with any cerebrovascular stenoses, or with follow-up MRI or final clinical diagnosis of stroke were excluded. Posterior circulation anatomic variations were identified. CTP were processed in RAPID and segmented in a custom pipeline permitting manually-enforced arterial input function (AIF) and perfusion estimations constrained to pre-specified vascular territories. Seventy-one subjects (mean 64 ± 19 years) met inclusion. Median Tmax was significantly greater in the cerebellar hemispheres (right: 3.0 s, left: 2.9 s) and PCA territories (right: 2.9 s; left: 3.3 s) than in the anterior circulation (right: 2.4 s; left: 2.3 s, p < 0.001). Fetal PCA disposition eliminated ipsilateral PCA Tmax delays (p = 0.012). Median territorial Tmax was significantly lower with basilar versus any anterior circulation AIF for all vascular territories (p < 0.001). Significant baseline delays in posterior circulation Tmax are observed even without steno-occlusive disease and vary with anatomic variation and AIF selection. The potential for overestimation of at-risk volumes in the posterior circulation merits caution in future trials.
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ISSN:0271-678X
1559-7016
1559-7016
DOI:10.1177/0271678X20982395