5F SOFIA intermediate catheter in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: A retrospective observational study

Background We herein report our experience with the 5F SOFIA (Soft Torqueable catheter Optimized for Intracranial Access) intermediate catheter for endovascular treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) both in distal middle vessel occlusions (DMVOs) and in large vessel occlusions (LVOs) with unfavorable anatomy. Methods Records of forty-seven patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy with 5F SOFIA between September 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ demographic data, clinical presentation, treatment details, and complications were recorded from the medical record. The primary outcomes were successful revascularization (modified treatment in cerebral ischemia, mTICI ≥2b) and good clinical outcome at 3 months (modified rankin scale, mRS 0-2). Secondary outcomes were complication rates and switch to alternative techniques. Our institutional review board approved this study. Results Forty-seven patients with AIS treated with 5F SOFIA were examined. In eighteen (38%) cases the occlusion was located on a large vessel while in 29 (61.7%) on a distal-medium vessels. Median national institutes of health strokes scale (NIHSS) score was 16 at admission. Successful revascularization to mTICI 2b-3 was achieved in 14 of 18 patients (77.7%) with LVOs and in 24/29 cases with DMVOs (82.7%) respectively. mRS score 0-2 at three months (3 months-mRS 0-2) was 66.6% for LVOs and 68.9% in DMVOs respectively. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) occurred in 2 (4.2%) patients. Conclusion 5F SOFIA intermediate catheter could be a safe and effective treatment for AIS and a viable alternative to 6 F conventional intermediate catheters in selected cases.