Imaging-Based Patient Selection for Late Endovascular Stroke Therapy

The mantra “time is brain” is central to acute stroke treatment, because as time passes, more brain tissue dies and the amount of salvageable brain tissue shrinks. However, the rate at which brain tissue dies varies markedly among patients. Because of this, the treatment time window may be as short as a couple of hours for some patients but well over 8 hours for others. Relying on brain imaging criteria to identify appropriate candidates might extend the treatment opportunity for some patients beyond currently established time criteria. To assess whether endovascular recanalization beyond 8 hours might benefit patients who meet imaging-based selection criteria, researchers reviewed charts of patients treated at 11 U.S. primary stroke center…