PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Loh, Y.
AU  - Kim, D.
AU  - Shi, Z.-S.
AU  - Tateshima, S.
AU  - Vespa, P.M.
AU  - Gonzalez, N.R.
AU  - Starkman, S.
AU  - Saver, J.L.
AU  - Jahan, R.
AU  - Liebeskind, D.S.
AU  - Duckwiler, G.R.
AU  - Viñuela, F.
TI  - Higher Rates of Mortality but Not Morbidity Follow Intracranial Mechanical Thrombectomy in the Elderly
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A2079
DP  - 2010 Aug 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1181--1185
VI  - 31
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/31/7/1181.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/31/7/1181.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2010 Aug 01; 31
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mechanical thrombectomy is a promising means of recanalizing acute cerebrovascular occlusions in certain situations. We sought to determine if increasing age adversely affects prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all Merci thrombectomy cases and compared patients younger than 80 years of age with older individuals. We compared these 2 age groups with respect to recanalization rates, hospital LOS, hemorrhagic transformation, and death and disability on discharge. RESULTS: Elderly patients were more likely to die from their stroke than those younger than 80 years of age, regardless of recanalization success (48% versus 15%; OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.1–14.1). Among survivors, there was no difference in the probability of having a good functional outcome (mRS, ≤2) by discharge (38% versus 40%; OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.3–2.8). Hemorrhagic transformation did not vary between age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for acute cerebrovascular occlusions, increased age conveys a higher rate of stroke-related death, but disability at discharge in this group is similar to that of younger survivors. AOLarterial occlusive lesionCIconfidence intervalHThemorrhagic transformationIAintra-arterialICAinternal carotid arteryLOSlength of stayMCAmiddle cerebral arteryMERCIMechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral IschemiamRSmodified Rankin ScaleNIHSSNational Institutes of Health Stroke ScaleORodds ratioPHparenchymal hematomaPTApercutaneous transluminal angioplastyrtPArecombinant tissue plasminogen activatorTIAtransient ischemic attack