Clinical and Imaging Markers for the Prognosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Abstract Significant differences in the outcomes observed in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) have led to research investigations for identifying the predictors. In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the relationship of different clinical and imaging factors with the prognosis of AIS. All clinical and imaging metrics were compared between the good and poor prognosis groups according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days after discharge. Clinical factors included gender, age, NIHSS scores at admission, and other medical history risk factors. Imaging markers included the lesion’s size and location, diffusion, and perfusion metrics. A total of 89 patients with AIS were divided into the good (mRS score ≤ 2) and poor prognosis groups (mRS score ≥ 3). The two groups had significant differences in NIHSS scores, rCBF, rMK, and rMD (P < 0.05). Among them, rMK had the strongest correlation with the mRS score at 90 days after discharge (r = 0.545, P < 0.001). Perfusion and diffusion metrics, including CBF, MD and MK, could reflect the microstructure and blood flow characteristics of the lesion, which were the key factors for the salvage ability and prognosis of the infarction tissue.