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Introduction: The first-pass effect (FPE), defined as a complete or near-complete recanalization after a single pass of a mechanical thrombectomy (MT) device, has been linked to favorable clinical outcomes. However, its effectiveness in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with low ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score 2-5) has not been validated. Method: We utilized data from STAR, a multicenter database of 84 centers worldwide, to conduct a retrospective, cohort study on patients who underwent MT for internal carotid artery (ICA) or M1 occlusion presenting with ASPECTS 2-5. We compared the outcomes of patients who achieved FPE (successful recanalization with an mTICI score of 2c or higher in one pass) to those who did not. The primary outcome was a 90-day favorable outcome, defined as mRS 0-3. Secondary outcomes included any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), symptomatic ICH (sICH), and 90-day mortality. Results: Out of 10,229 patients in the STAR database, 250 patients met our inclusion criteria. Among those, 60 (24%) achieved FPE. There were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline, imaging, and procedural characteristics. FPE was significantly associated with higher odds of 90-day mRS 0-3 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04 - 4.20; P-value: 0.04) and lower rates of ICH (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25 - 0.93, P-value: 0.03). However, there was no significant difference in sICH rates (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.31 - 2.04, P-value: 0.70). Conclusion: Achieving FPE in AIS stroke patients with low ASPECTS was associated with significantly higher rates of good functional outcomes and lower rates of ICH.

Introduction: Real-world data showed that less than half of the acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) presenting with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) (2-5) achieved favorable outcomes at 90 days after mechanical thrombectomy (MT). In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between the number of MT passes at which successful recanalization is obtained and outcomes in LVO-related AIS patients with low ASPECTS. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed on the data from 31 thrombectomy-capable centers between 2013 to 2022. Successful recanalization was defined as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia Score≥ 2b. The primary outcome was a 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 0-3. Secondary outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and intracranial hemorrhage within 24 hours and mortality at 90 days. Outcomes were compared among patients with unsuccessful recanalization, and successful recanalization at first, second, third, and more than four passes. Results: A total of 297 patients with a median age of 70 [IQR 59-78] years were included and 140 (47.1%) were female. In 239 (80.4%) patients, successful recanalization was achieved: 88 patients (29.6 %) with 1 pass, 59 patients (19.9 %) with 2 passes, 35 patients(11.8%) with 3 passes, and 57 patients (19.2%) with more than 4 passes. Compared to unsuccessful recanalization, successful recanalization at first pass (adjusted OR 5.25, 95% CI 1.78 - 17.1), second passes (adjusted OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.68 - 17.6), and passes 4 (adjusted OR 4.90, 95% CI 1.68 - 17.6) was related to 90-day mRS 0-3. Recanalization status and MT attempt number were not related to secondary outcomes except for 90-day mortality. Compared to unsuccessful recanalization, successful recanalization at second and third passes were inversely related to 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14 - 0.93; adjusted OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.11 - 0.95, respectively). Conclusion: The present results indicated that successful recanalization was related to 90-day good outcome regardless of the number of MT passes but the odds of achieving favorable outcome declines with each pass.

Introduction: The combination of intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolysis with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has been thoroughly investigated. However, no study has explored the outcomes of combining both intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis with MT. Methods: Data from Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR) from 2013 to 2023 was utilized. We compared AIS patients with LVO who underwent MT with combined intra-venous and intra-arterial thrombolysis (IV+IA) and with intra-venous thrombolysis alone (IV). We performed propensity score (PS) matching between the two groups using age, sex, premorbid mRS, admission NIHSS, occluded vessel, ASPECTS score, time from symptoms onset to arterial puncture, and frontline technique. Primary outcomes were any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and symptomatic ICH (sICH). Secondary outcomes included successful recanalization (mTICI ≥2C), early neurological improvement (defined as 4 or more points improvement in NIHSS score in 24 hours), 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2, mRS 0-1, and mortality. Results: A total of 2495 LVO-related AIS patients were included, consisting of the IA+IV group (n = 266) and the IV group (n = 2228). Propensity matching yielded 192 well-matched patients in each group. No significant differences were observed between the groups in either ICH or sICH (odds ratio [OR]: 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-1.52, p = 0.60; OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.42-2.03, p > 0.90, respectively). The IA+IV group had a significantly lower proportion of successful recanalization (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27-0.62, p < 0.001), and early neurological improvement (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30-1.00). However, 90-day mRS 0-2, mRS 0-1, and mortality rates showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the combined use of IA and IV thrombolysis in AIS patients undergoing MT is safe. Although the IA+IV group demonstrated lower rates of recanalization and early neurological improvement, long-term functional outcomes and mortality rates were comparable to the IV-thrombolysis group, indicating a potential delayed benefit of additional IA thrombolysis therapy.

Introduction: While balloon guide catheters (BGCs) enhance safety and efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy in large vessel occlusions, their impact on distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) remains underexplored. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of BGC vs non-BGC in DMVO thrombectomy. Methods: This retrospective study focused on DMVO cases defined as occlusions in M2-M4 middle cerebral artery, anterior cerebral artery, and posterior cerebral artery. Baseline characteristics and technical and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups, with subgroup analysis in first-line thrombectomy techniques, including ADAPT, stent retriever, and Solumbra. First pass effect (FPE) was defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) score ≥ 2C after the first pass. Results: A total of 1,508 patients were included, of whom 231 (15.3%) were in the BGC group and 1,277 (84.7%) were in the Non-BGC group. The BGC group was associated with a lower mTICI score ≥ 2C (overall: 43.2% vs. 52.7%, p = 0.01; ADAPT: 42.2% vs. 57.1%, p = 0.01; Solumbra: 32.4% vs. 51.4%, p = 0.005), longer puncture to intracranial access time (overall: 15 vs. 8 min, p < 0.001; ADAPT: 17 vs. 8 min, p < 0.001; Solumbra: 12 vs. 8 min, p = 0.02), and longer puncture to recanalization time (overall: 97 vs. 35 min, p < 0.001; ADAPT: 100 vs. 28 min, p < 0.001; Solumbra: 78 vs. 46 min, p < 0.001; Stent retriever: 95 vs. 45 min, p < 0.001 ). The BGC group also had a lower FPE rate (17.4% vs. 30.7%, p = 0.03) in the Solumbra subgroup. In terms of clinical outcomes, the BGC group had a lower rate of distal embolization (overall: 8.8% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.02), but there were no significant differences in other clinical outcomes between the two groups in first-line thrombectomy techniques. Conclusions: Our findings showed that the use of BGC in DMVO had a lower mTICI score, reduced FPE rates, decreased distal embolization, and longer procedure times. Figure 1: Figure 2:

Introduction: The efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for tandem vertebrobasilar occlusion (tVBO) is not well established in patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO). Objective: To investigate the treatment outcomes of MT in tVBO. Method: This international, multicenter, retrospective cohort included patients with MT for tVBO and isolated BAO from 2013 to 2023. The primary outcome was the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2. Secondary outcomes included complete recanalization (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia [mTICI] ≥ 2C) and 90-day mortality rate. These outcomes were compared between tVBO and isolated BAO groups. Adjustment factors were age, sex, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), pre-morbid mRS, onset to groin duration, and intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Results: Among 10,229 patients, 689 had BAO. Of those, 61 (9.7%) had a tVBO. Median age was 61 [IQR 53-74] years and 29 (47.5%) patients were female. Compared to isolated BAO, tVBO group had lower age (61 [53-74] versus 68 [58-79], P<0.001) and lower admission NIHSS (15 [7 - 22] versus 17 [9-26], P≤0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of complete recanalization between the two groups (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.39-1.79; P=0.60) However, the tVBO group had significantly lower odds of a favorable outcome compared to the isolated BAO group (aOR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.13-0.83; P=0.023) and higher odds of 90-day mortality (aOR: 3.51; 95% CI: 1.59-7.85; P=0.002). Binary regression analysis revealed that age (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96 - 1.00; P=0.019), admission NIHSS (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.93; P<0.001), premorbid mRS (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.53-0.93; P=0.016), successful recanalization (OR 2.94; 95% CI 1.71-5.15; P<0.001), and tVBO (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.11-0.86; P=0.031) were significant predictors of 90-day favorable outcome. Conclusion: tVBO was associated with poor outcomes. Further efforts should be aimed at improving outcomes for this subpopulation.

AbstractBackgroundGiven the challenges of conventional therapies in managing right‐sided infective endocarditis (RSIE), percutaneous mechanical aspiration (PMA) of vegetations has emerged as a novel treatment option. Data on trends, characteristics, and outcomes of PMA, however, have largely been limited to case reports and case series.Aims:The aim of the current investigation was to provide a descriptive analysis of PMA in the United States and to profile the frequency of PMA with a temporal analysis and the patient cohort.MethodsThe International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes were used to identify patients with RSIE in the national (nationwide) inpatient sample (NIS) database between 2016 and 2020. The clinical characteristics and temporal trends of RSIE hospitalizations in patients who underwent PMA was profiled.ResultsAn estimated 117,955 RSIE‐related hospital admissions in the United States over the 5‐year study period were estimated and 1675 of them included PMA. Remarkably, the rate of PMA for RSIE increased 4.7‐fold from 2016 (0.56%) to 2020 (2.62%). Patients identified with RSIE who had undergone PMA were young (medial age 36.5 years) and had few comorbid conditions (median Charlson Comorbidity Index, 0.6). Of note, 36.1% of patients had a history of hepatitis C infection, while only 9.9% of patients had a cardiovascular implantable electronic device. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant (61.8%) pathogen. Concomitant transvenous lead extraction and cardiac valve surgery during the PMA hospitalization were performed in 18.2% and 8.4% of admissions, respectively. The median hospital stay was 19.0 days, with 6.0% in‐hospital mortality.ConclusionsThe marked increase in the number of PMA procedures in the United States suggests that this novel treatment option has been embraced as a useful tool in select cases of RSIE. More work is needed to better define indications for the procedure and its efficacy and safety.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the impact of prior prostate radiation therapy (RT) on the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy response in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that the damaging radiation effects on the bladder could negatively influence BCG efficacy. METHODS: Men with a history of high-risk NMIBC were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database. All patients completed adequate BCG defined as at least 5 plus 2 treatments completed within 12 months. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: with prior RT for prostate cancer and without prior RT before the diagnosis of NMIBC. The primary endpoint was a 5-year composite for progression defined as disease progression requiring systemic chemotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, radical or partial cystectomy, or cancer-specific death. RESULTS: We identified 3,466 patients with NMIBC, including 145 with prior RT for prostate cancer. Five-year progression occurred in 471 patients (13.6%). Patients with prior RT were older than patients without prior RT (77.0 vs 75.0 years; P < .001). The distribution of T stage was significantly different at diagnosis between the RT and non-RT groups (RT: Ta, 44.8%; Tis, 18.6%; T1, 36.6%; without RT: Ta, 40.9%; Tis, 10.8%; T1, 48.3%; P = .002). No difference in the risk of total progression was observed between patients with and without prior RT ( P = .67). Similarly, no difference was observed after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.61-1.58; P = .95). CONCLUSION: For patients with NMIBC who undergo adequate BCG treatment, prior RT for prostate cancer was not associated with worse 5-year progression-free survival.

Abstract During the 20th century, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was considered a disease of early-industrialized regions in North America, Europe, and Oceania. At the turn of the 21st century, incidence of IBD increased in newly-industrialized and emerging regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while prevalence in early-industrialized regions started to grow steadily. Changes in incidence and prevalence denote evolution of IBD across four epidemiologic stages: Stage 1 (Emergence), characterized by low incidence and prevalence; stage 2 (Acceleration in Incidence), characterized by rapidly rising incidence and low prevalence; and stage 3 (Compounding Prevalence), characterized by decelerating, plateauing, or declining incidence and steadily rising prevalence. A fourth stage (Prevalence Equilibrium) has been proposed where the slope of prevalence plateaus due to shifting demographics of an aging IBD population, but it has not yet been evidenced. To date, these stages have been theoretical without specific incidence/prevalence indicators defining transition points. Using real-world data from 490 population-based studies comprising 80 global regions and spanning over a century (1920–2023), we show spatiotemporal transitions across stages 1–3 and model transition towards stage 4. Understanding the evolution of IBD across epidemiologic stages allows healthcare systems to better prepare for the future worldwide burden of IBD.

Context.— The Nottingham Grading System (NGS) developed by Elston and Ellis is used to grade invasive breast cancer (IBC). Glandular (acinar)/tubule formation is a component of NGS. Objective.— To investigate the ability of pathologists to identify individual structures that should be classified as glandular (acinar)/tubule formation. Design.— A total of 58 hematoxylin-eosin photographic images of IBC with 1 structure circled were classified as tubules (41 cases) or nontubules (17 cases) by Professor Ellis. Images were sent as a PowerPoint (Microsoft) file to breast pathologists, who were provided with the World Health Organization definition of a tubule and asked to determine if a circled structure represented a tubule. Results.— Among 35 pathologists, the κ statistic for assessing agreement in evaluating the 58 images was 0.324 (95% CI, 0.314–0.335). The median concordance rate between a participating pathologist and Professor Ellis was 94.1% for evaluating 17 nontubule cases and 53.7% for 41 tubule cases. A total of 41% of the tubule cases were classified correctly by less than 50% of pathologists. Structures classified as tubules by Professor Ellis but often not recognized as tubules by pathologists included glands with complex architecture, mucinous carcinoma, and the “inverted tubule” pattern of micropapillary carcinoma. A total of 80% of participants reported that they did not have clarity on what represented a tubule. Conclusions.— We identified structures that should be included as tubules but that were not readily identified by pathologists. Greater concordance for identification of tubules might be obtained by providing more detailed images and descriptions of the types of structures included as tubules.

The NCCN Guidelines for Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) provide recommendations for diagnostic workup, clinical stage, and treatment options for patients. The panel meets annually to discuss updates to the guidelines based on comments from expert review from panel members, institutional review, as well as submissions from within NCCN and external organizations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on the introduction of a new page for locally advanced disease in the setting of clinical node negative status, entitled “Clinical N0 Disease, Locally Advanced MCC.” This new algorithm page addresses locally advanced disease, and the panel clarifies the meaning behind the term “nonsurgical” by further defining locally advanced disease. In addition, the guideline includes the management of in-transit disease and updates to the systemic therapy options.