Endovascular Thrombectomy for Carotid Pseudo-occlusion in the Setting of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Comparative Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with cervical internal carotid pseudo-occlusion (cICA-PO) requires comprehensive research on the safety and outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). However, there is limited data available, highlighting the need for further research to ensure better treatment strategies and improve the quality of care for these patients. This study aims to assess the management and outcomes in this population group compared to patients with true carotid occlusion. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus from data base inception to November 2023. The size of the included studies ranged from 16 patients to 146 patients. Through the 4 full-text articles, a total of 259 patients were collected. We compared outcomes between patients with cICA-PO compared to patients with true carotid occlusions undergoing EVT due to AIS. We excluded studies with patients with carotid pseudo-occlusion without stroke, review articles, duplicate studies, overlapped data that included the same patients presented in another included study, case reports, case series with fewer than 5 patients, and meeting abstracts that did not contain the outcomes of interest. We did not pose any limitations regarding sample size or patients' characteristics. We utilized the R statistical software (V.4.3.1; R package meta, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) to conduct the analysis of all the data obtained. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) for binary variables, and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). To synthesize the data, random-effect models, as well as forest plots were generated to visually represent the synthesis of the data. Additionally, we assessed heterogeneity using Cochran's Q and I This meta-analysis encompassed data from 4 studies. Patients with cICA-PO and AIS who underwent EVT (n = 135) exhibited lower rates of functional independence (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20-0.61, p= <0.001) compared to patients with true occlusions (n = 103), as well as successful recanalization rates (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.20-0.74, p=0.004). In addition, the cICA-PO group experienced higher mortality and sICH compared to the group with true carotid occlusions (OR 2.62, 95% CI 0.21-7.24, and OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.00-4.95, p= 0.049, respectively). Individual patient data was not available. Studies were a retrospective design and some of the studies had small sample sizes. The included studies in our metaanalysis did not exclude patients with tandem occlusions which might influence the results of the comparison. As compared to patients with true carotid occlusion, the cICA-PO group with AIS undergoing EVT presented poor outcomes with lower functional independence and successful recanalization, as well as higher sICH and mortality rates.

© 2024 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

R.K. has the following conflicts: Research support from: Cerenovus Inc, Medtronic, Endovascular Engineering, Frontior Bio, Sensome Inc, Endomimetics, Ancure LLC, Neurogami Medical, MIVI Biosciences, Monarch Biosciences, Stryker Inc, Conway Medical, Pireus Medical, and Bionau Labs outside the submitted work. He holds the following research grants Research Grants: NIH (R01NS076491, R44NS107111, R43NS110114 and R21NS128199) and NSF (081215707) outside the submitted work.