Follow-up ASPECTS improves prediction of potentially lethal malignant edema in patients with large middle cerebral artery stroke

Abstract

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that follow-up head CT is a strong predictor of functional outcomes in patients with middle cerebral artery stroke and mechanical thrombectomy. We sought to determine whether total and/or regional follow-up Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTSfu) are associated with important clinical outcomes during hospitalization and improve the performance of clinical prediction models of potentially lethal malignant edema (PLME).MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of patients at three medical centers in a major North American metropolitan area with baseline and follow-up head CTs after large middle cerebral artery stroke between 2006 and 2022. We used multivariable logistic regression to test the association of total and regional ASPECTSfuwith PLME (cerebral edema related death or surgery), adjusting for total baseline ASPECTS, age, sex, admission glucose, tissue plasminogen activator, and mechanical thrombectomy. We compared existing clinical risk models with and without total or regional ASPECTSfuusing area under the curve.ResultsIn our 560 patient cohort, lower total ASPECTSfuwas significantly associated with higher odds of PLME when adjusting for confounders (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.0), and improved model discrimination compared with existing models and models using baseline ASPECTS. Deep territory involvement (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.53 to 4.01) and anterior territory involvement (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.88 to 5.71) were significantly associated with PLME.ConclusionsLower ASPECTSfuand certain locations on regional ASPECTSfu, including deep and anterior areas, were significantly associated with PLME. Including ASPECTSfuinformation improved discrimination of established edema prediction models and could be used immediately to help facilitate clinical management decisions and prognostication.