Endovascular thrombectomy for basilar artery occlusion: translating research findings into clinical practice. 2023

Fana Alemseged, and Thanh N Nguyen, and Shelagh B Coutts, and Charlotte Cordonnier, and Wouter J Schonewille, and Bruce C V Campbell
Department of Medicine and Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Basilar artery occlusion is a rare and severe condition. The effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with basilar artery occlusion was unclear until recently, because these patients were excluded from most trials of endovascular thrombectomy for large-vessel occlusion ischaemic stroke. The Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS) and the Basilar Artery Occlusion Endovascular Intervention versus Standard Medical Treatment (BEST) trials, specifically designed to investigate the benefit of thrombectomy in patients with basilar artery occlusion, did not find significant evidence of a benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in terms of disability outcomes at 3 months after stroke. However, these trials suggested a potential benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in patients presenting with moderate-to-severe symptoms. Subsequently, the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (ATTENTION) and the Basilar Artery Occlusion Chinese Endovascular (BAOCHE) trials, which compared endovascular thrombectomy versus medical therapy within 24 h of onset, showed clear benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in reducing disability and mortality, particularly in patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms. The risk of intracranial haemorrhage with endovascular thrombectomy was similar to the risk in anterior circulation stroke. Thrombectomy was beneficial regardless of age, baseline characteristics, the presence of intracranial atherosclerotic disease, and time from symptom onset to randomisation. Therefore, the question of whether endovascular thrombectomy is beneficial in basilar artery occlusion now appears to be settled in patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms, and endovascular thrombectomy should be offered to eligible patients. WHERE NEXT?: Key outstanding issues are the potential benefits of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with mild symptoms, the use of intravenous thrombolysis in an extended time window (ie, after 4ยท5 h of symptom onset), and the optimal endovascular technique for thrombectomy. Dedicated training programmes and automated software to assist with the assessment of imaging prognostic markers could be useful in the selection of patients who might benefit from endovascular thrombectomy. Large international research networks should be built to address knowledge gaps in this field and allow the conduct of clinical trials with fast and consecutive enrolment and a diverse ethnic representation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002545 Brain Ischemia Localized reduction of blood flow to brain tissue due to arterial obstruction or systemic hypoperfusion. This frequently occurs in conjunction with brain hypoxia (HYPOXIA, BRAIN). Prolonged ischemia is associated with BRAIN INFARCTION. Cerebral Ischemia,Ischemic Encephalopathy,Encephalopathy, Ischemic,Ischemia, Cerebral,Brain Ischemias,Cerebral Ischemias,Ischemia, Brain,Ischemias, Cerebral,Ischemic Encephalopathies
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000083242 Ischemic Stroke Stroke due to BRAIN ISCHEMIA resulting in interruption or reduction of blood flow to a part of the brain. When obstruction is due to a BLOOD CLOT formed within in a cerebral blood vessel it is a thrombotic stroke. When obstruction is formed elsewhere and moved to block a cerebral blood vessel (see CEREBRAL EMBOLISM) it is referred to as embolic stroke. Wake-up stroke refers to ischemic stroke occurring during sleep while cryptogenic stroke refers to ischemic stroke of unknown origin. Acute Ischemic Stroke,Cryptogenic Embolism Stroke,Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke,Cryptogenic Stroke,Ischaemic Stroke,Wake-up Stroke,Acute Ischemic Strokes,Cryptogenic Embolism Strokes,Cryptogenic Ischemic Strokes,Cryptogenic Strokes,Embolism Stroke, Cryptogenic,Ischaemic Strokes,Ischemic Stroke, Acute,Ischemic Stroke, Cryptogenic,Ischemic Strokes,Stroke, Acute Ischemic,Stroke, Cryptogenic,Stroke, Cryptogenic Embolism,Stroke, Cryptogenic Ischemic,Stroke, Ischaemic,Stroke, Ischemic,Stroke, Wake-up,Wake up Stroke,Wake-up Strokes
D001157 Arterial Occlusive Diseases Pathological processes which result in the partial or complete obstruction of ARTERIES. They are characterized by greatly reduced or absence of blood flow through these vessels. They are also known as arterial insufficiency. Arterial Obstructive Diseases,Arterial Occlusion,Arterial Obstructive Disease,Arterial Occlusions,Arterial Occlusive Disease,Disease, Arterial Obstructive,Disease, Arterial Occlusive,Obstructive Disease, Arterial,Occlusion, Arterial,Occlusive Disease, Arterial
D001488 Basilar Artery The artery formed by the union of the right and left vertebral arteries; it runs from the lower to the upper border of the pons, where it bifurcates into the two posterior cerebral arteries. Arteries, Basilar,Artery, Basilar,Basilar Arteries
D016896 Treatment Outcome Evaluation undertaken to assess the results or consequences of management and procedures used in combating disease in order to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and practicability of these interventions in individual cases or series. Rehabilitation Outcome,Treatment Effectiveness,Clinical Effectiveness,Clinical Efficacy,Patient-Relevant Outcome,Treatment Efficacy,Effectiveness, Clinical,Effectiveness, Treatment,Efficacy, Clinical,Efficacy, Treatment,Outcome, Patient-Relevant,Outcome, Rehabilitation,Outcome, Treatment,Outcomes, Patient-Relevant,Patient Relevant Outcome,Patient-Relevant Outcomes
D017131 Thrombectomy Surgical removal of an obstructing clot or foreign material from a blood vessel at the point of its formation. Removal of a clot arising from a distant site is called EMBOLECTOMY. Aspiration Thrombectomy,Percutaneous Aspiration Thrombectomy,Aspiration Thrombectomies,Aspiration Thrombectomies, Percutaneous,Aspiration Thrombectomy, Percutaneous,Percutaneous Aspiration Thrombectomies,Thrombectomies,Thrombectomies, Aspiration,Thrombectomies, Percutaneous Aspiration,Thrombectomy, Aspiration,Thrombectomy, Percutaneous Aspiration
D057510 Endovascular Procedures Minimally invasive procedures, diagnostic or therapeutic, performed within the BLOOD VESSELS. They may be perfomed via ANGIOSCOPY; INTERVENTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY; or INTERVENTIONAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY. Endovascular Techniques,Intravascular Procedures,Intravascular Techniques,Endovascular Procedure,Endovascular Technique,Intravascular Procedure,Intravascular Technique,Procedure, Endovascular,Procedure, Intravascular,Procedures, Endovascular,Procedures, Intravascular,Technique, Endovascular,Technique, Intravascular,Techniques, Endovascular,Techniques, Intravascular
D020300 Intracranial Hemorrhages Bleeding within the SKULL, including hemorrhages in the brain and the three membranes of MENINGES. The escape of blood often leads to the formation of HEMATOMA in the cranial epidural, subdural, and subarachnoid spaces. Brain Hemorrhage,Hemorrhage, Intracranial,Posterior Fossa Hemorrhage,Brain Hemorrhages,Hemorrhage, Brain,Hemorrhage, Posterior Fossa,Hemorrhages, Brain,Hemorrhages, Intracranial,Hemorrhages, Posterior Fossa,Intracranial Hemorrhage,Posterior Fossa Hemorrhages
D020521 Stroke A group of pathological conditions characterized by sudden, non-convulsive loss of neurological function due to BRAIN ISCHEMIA or INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGES. Stroke is classified by the type of tissue NECROSIS, such as the anatomic location, vasculature involved, etiology, age of the affected individual, and hemorrhagic vs. non-hemorrhagic nature. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp777-810) Apoplexy,Cerebral Stroke,Cerebrovascular Accident,Cerebrovascular Apoplexy,Vascular Accident, Brain,CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident),Cerebrovascular Accident, Acute,Cerebrovascular Stroke,Stroke, Acute,Acute Cerebrovascular Accident,Acute Cerebrovascular Accidents,Acute Stroke,Acute Strokes,Apoplexy, Cerebrovascular,Brain Vascular Accident,Brain Vascular Accidents,CVAs (Cerebrovascular Accident),Cerebral Strokes,Cerebrovascular Accidents,Cerebrovascular Accidents, Acute,Cerebrovascular Strokes,Stroke, Cerebral,Stroke, Cerebrovascular,Strokes,Strokes, Acute,Strokes, Cerebral,Strokes, Cerebrovascular,Vascular Accidents, Brain

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