Application of optical coherence tomography in decision-making of post-thrombectomy adjunctive treatments

An adult patient with acute basilar artery occlusion underwent mechanical thrombectomy. After complete reperfusion, a 70% residual stenosis of the proximal basilar artery was observed. Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) identified lipid plaques with an intact fibrous cap and thrombus in the culprit lesion, indicating plaque erosion was the mechanism of in situ thrombosis. Adjunctive antiplatelet therapy rather than rescue interventions was pursued for its beneficial effects in acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion. The patient had a 90-day modified Rankin Scale score of 0. OCT enables precise evaluation of vessel characteristics following thrombectomy, so may improve outcomes through subsequent tailored treatments.