Endovascular therapy versus medical management for mild strokes due to medium and distal vessel occlusions

Background Distal and medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) strokes account for up to 40% of all acute ischemic strokes, many of which have a low initial deficit severity. Increasingly, endovascular treatment (EVT) is considered for these patients. However, there is a paucity of data comparing potential safety and efficacy of EVT versus best medical management (BMT) in these patients, particularly when presenting with mild symptoms. Methods We retrospectively analyzed consecutive DMVO patients with NIHSS ≤6 who presented between January 2018 and December 2021 within 24 h from last seen well. We compared early and late clinical outcomes, as well as safety outcomes using multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses to determine whether EVT was independently associated with the outcomes of interest. Results We included 80 subjects that fulfilled our study criteria (n = 41 BMT and n = 39 EVT). On adjusted analyses, when comparing EVT and BMT groups, there was no statistical difference in the NIHSS at discharge (Coefficient = −0.6, 95%-CI = −3.45–2.26, p = 0.678) or in the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge (Coefficient = 0.37, 95%-CI = −0.52–1.25, p = 0.408). Furthermore, there was no difference in the 3-month mRS defined as good (mRS 0–2) (OR = 0.56, 95%-CI = 0.17–1.83, p = 0.341) or excellent (mRS 0–1) (OR = 0.45, 95%-CI = 0.15–1.34, p = 0.152). Finally, there was no difference in the incidence of all-type parenchymal hemorrhage (OR = 0.9, 95%-CI = 0.22–3.62, p = 0.879). Conclusions We found that among DMVO patients with low admission NIHSS treatment with EVT versus BMT was associated with similar outcomes. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.