Technical and clinical outcomes of thrombectomy in patients with acute medium vessel occlusion and large vessel occlusion; sub-analyses of Japan Trevo registry

Background Little is known about endovascular therapy (EVT) for patients with medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) and more work is needed to establish its efficacy and to understand hemorrhagic complications. Methods We analyzed the Japan Trevo Registry, which enrolled patients with acute stroke who underwent EVT using Trevo Retriever alone or in combination with an aspiration catheter. The primary outcome was effective reperfusion, and the secondary outcome was modified Rankin scale 0–2 at 90 days. Safety outcomes, including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), were evaluated using a subgroup analyses focused on any ICH. Results Among 1041 registered patients, 1025 patients were analyzed. 253 patients had MeVOs, and the majority (89.3%) had middle cerebral artery segment 2 (M2). The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at admission were 15 and 19 for the MeVO and LVO groups (p < 0.0001). The primary outcome was 88.9% in MeVO vs. 91.8% in LVO group: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] 0.60 [0.35–1.03], p = 0.07, and the secondary outcome was 43.2% vs. 42.2%, and the aOR [95%CI] was 0.70 [0.48–1.002], p = 0.051. However, the incidence of any ICH was more prominent in MeVO than in LVO group (35.7% vs. 28.8%, aOR [95%CI] 1.54 [1.10–2.15], p = 0.01). In subgroup analyses, the incidences of any ICH in MeVO group were generally higher than those in LVO group. Conclusions The effective reperfusion rate did not differ significantly between MeVO and LVO groups. Future development of devices and treatments for MeVO with fewer hemorrhagic complications is desirable.