Leukoaraiosis severity and outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy with stent-retriever devices in acute ischemic stroke

Background and purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate whether leukoaraiosis severity is associated with outcome in acute stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy with stent-retriever devices. Methods In this retrospective multicenter study, we evaluated 251 acute stroke patients (pretreatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥8) treated with stent-retriever devices. Leukoaraiosis severity was graded as 0–2 (absent-to-moderate) versus 3–4 (severe) according to the van Swieten scale. The main clinical outcome was the proportion of good functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale of 0–2 at 90 days. Results Significantly fewer patients in the severe LA group than in the absent-to-moderate LA group achieved a good functional outcome (18.4% vs 50.2%, P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, severe leukoaraiosis was a significant negative predictor of good functional outcome at 90 days (OR, 0.27; 95% CI 0.10–0.77; P=0.014). Conclusions The severity of leukoaraiosis is independently associated with 90-day functional outcome in acute stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy with stent-retriever devices.