Whipple's endocarditis diagnosed by thrombus analysis retrieved by successful mechanical thrombectomy

Safety and Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Attributable to Cardiological Diseases: A Scoping Review

There is limited evidence on the outcomes and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the context of cardiac diseases. Our study reviews MT in AIS within the context of cardiac diseases, aiming to identify existing and emerging needs and gaps. PubMed and Scopus were searched until December 31, 2023, using a combination of cardiological diseases and "mechanical thrombectomy" or "endovascular treatment" as keywords. Study design included case reports/series, observational studies, randomized clinical trials, and meta-analyses/systematic reviews. We identified 943 articles, of which 130 were included in the review. Results were categorized according to the cardiac conditions. MT shows significant benefits in patients with atrial fibrillation (n=139) but lacks data for stroke occurring after percutaneous coronary intervention (n=2) or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (n=5). MT is beneficial in AIS attributable to infective endocarditis (n=34), although functional benefit may be limited. Controversy surrounds the functional outcomes and mortality of patients with AIS with heart failure undergoing MT (n=11). Despite technical challenges, MT appears feasible in aortic dissection cases (n=4), and in patients with left ventricular assist device or total artificial heart (n=10). Data on AIS attributable to congenital heart disease (n=4) primarily focus on pediatric cases requiring technical modifications. Treatment outcomes of MT in patients with cardiac tumors (n=8) vary because of clot consistency differences. After cardiac surgery stroke, MT may improve outcomes with early intervention (n=13). Available data outline the feasibility of MT in patients with AIS attributable to large-vessel occlusion in the context of cardiac diseases.

Clot Composition Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool to Gain Insight into Ischemic Stroke Etiology: A Systematic Review

Mechanical thrombectomy renders the occluding clot available for analysis. Insights into thrombus composition could help establish the stroke cause. We aimed to investigate the value of clot composition analysis as a complementary diagnostic tool in determining the etiology of large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic strokes (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO] registration # CRD42020199436). Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we ran searches on Medline (using the PubMed interface) and Web of Science for studies reporting analyses of thrombi retrieved from LVO stroke patients subjected to mechanical thrombectomy (January 1, 2006 to September 21, 2020). The PubMed search was updated weekly up to February 22, 2021. Reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews were hand-searched. From 1,714 identified studies, 134 eligible studies (97 cohort studies, 31 case reports, and six case series) were included in the qualitative synthesis. Physical, histopathological, biological, and microbiological analyses provided information about the gross appearance, mechanical properties, structure, and composition of the thrombi. There were non-unanimous associations of thrombus size, structure, and composition (mainly proportions of fibrin and blood formed elements) with the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) etiology and underlying pathologies, and similarities between cryptogenic thrombi and those of known TOAST etiology. Individual thrombus analysis contributed to the diagnosis, mainly in atypical cases. Although cohort studies report an abundance of quantitative rates of main thrombus components, a definite clot signature for accurate diagnosis of stroke etiology is still lacking. Nevertheless, the qualitative examination of the embolus remains an invaluable tool for diagnosing individual cases, particularly regarding atypical stroke causes.

Endovascular treatment of ischemic large-vessel stroke due to infective endocarditis: case series and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Mechanical thrombectomy is the standard of care, in selected patients, for acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion but its use in patients with stroke secondary to infective endocarditis is controversial. We report three cases of acute ischemic stroke treated by mechanical thrombectomy and we propose an extensive review of the literature to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of thrombectomy in patients with stroke secondary to infective endocarditis.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed following a pre-specified protocol of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Case reports, cases series, cross-sectional studies, case control studies, randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized controlled trials were considered that included endocarditis-related acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy.

RESULTS

The database search yielded 431 relevant records published until January 2020. Nineteen articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria that described thirty patients. After the thrombectomy, 13.3% of the patients experienced intracranial haemorrhage. After the procedure, the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score dropped from 15 (IQR 7) to 2.5 (IQR 5.75). At 90 days, mortality was 23.3% while 46.7% of the patients were functionally independent (mRS ≤ 2).

DISCUSSION

Based on our review, the use of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with large vessel occlusion due to endocarditis-associated stroke might improve patient outcome but it should be considered on a case by case base as the safety has not been well established yet. Further research on risk stratification is needed to drive clinician during the decision-making process.