Background: The impact on clinical outcomes of patient selection using perfusion imaging for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting beyond 6 hours from onset remains undetermined in routine clinical practice. Methods: Patients from a national stroke registry that underwent EVT selected with or without perfusion imaging (noncontrast computed tomography/computed tomography angiography) in the early (<6 hours) and late (6–24 hours) time windows, between October 2015 and March 2020, were compared. The primary outcome was the ordinal shift in the modified Rankin Scale score at hospital discharge. Other outcomes included functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) and in-hospital mortality, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, successful reperfusion (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b–3), early neurological deterioration, futile recanalization (modified Rankin Scale score 4–6 despite successful reperfusion) and procedural time metrics. Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for age, sex, baseline stroke severity, prestroke disability, intravenous thrombolysis, mode of anesthesia (Model 1) and including EVT technique, balloon guide catheter, and center (Model 2). Results: We included 4249 patients, 3203 in the early window (593 with perfusion versus 2610 without perfusion) and 1046 in the late window (378 with perfusion versus 668 without perfusion). Within the late window, patients with perfusion imaging had a shift towards better functional outcome at discharge compared with those without perfusion imaging (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 1.45 [95% CI, 1.16–1.83]; P =0.001). There was no significant difference in functional independence (29.3% with perfusion versus 24.8% without; P =0.210) or in the safety outcome measures of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage ( P =0.53) and in-hospital mortality (10.6% with perfusion versus 14.3% without; P =0.053). In the early time window, patients with perfusion imaging had significantly improved odds of functional outcome (adjusted common OR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.28–1.78]; P =0.0001) and functional independence (41.6% versus 33.6%, adjusted OR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.08–1.59]; P =0.006). Perfusion imaging was associated with lower odds of futile recanalization in both time windows (late: adjusted OR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50–0.97]; P =0.034; early: adjusted OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65–0.99]; P =0.047). Conclusions: In this real-world study, acquisition of perfusion imaging for EVT was associated with improvement in functional disability in the early and late time windows compared with nonperfusion neuroimaging. These indirect comparisons should be interpreted with caution while awaiting confirmatory data from prospective randomized trials.

Acute ischaemic stroke is the second largest cause of death worldwide and a cause of major physical and psychological morbidity. Current evidence based treatment includes intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT), both requiring careful patient selection and to be administered as quickly as possible within a limited time window from symptom onset. Imaging plays a crucial role identifying patients who may benefit from MT or IVT whilst excluding those that may be harmed. For IVT, imaging must as a minimum exclude haemorrhage, stroke mimics and provide an estimate of non-viable brain. For MT, imaging must in addition detect and characterize intra-arterial thrombus and assess the intra and extracranial arterial architecture. More advanced imaging techniques may be used to assess more accurately the volume of non-viable and potentially salvageable brain tissue. It is highly likely that further research will identify patients who would benefit from treatment beyond currently accepted time windows for IVT (4.5 h) and MT (6 h) and patients with an unknown time of symptom onset. Current evidence indicates that best outcomes are achieved when treatment is instituted as soon as possible after symptom onset. A rapid, efficient imaging pathway including interpretation is fundamental to achieving the best outcomes. This review summarizes current techniques for imaging assessment of acute stroke, highlighting strengths and limitations of each. The optimum pathway is a balance between diagnostic information, local resources, specialization and the time taken to acquire, process and interpret the data. As new evidence emerges, it is likely that the minimum required imaging data will change.

Acute compartment syndrome affecting the gluteal region is rare when compared to the same condition in the forearm or calf. When it does occur, it is usually due to prolonged immobilisation in those with altered consciousness. Gluteal compartment syndrome resulting from injury to the superior gluteal artery is extremely rare and to our knowledge has been described only twice—both after high-energy road traffic accidents (RTA). Other cases have described profound hypotension with superior gluteal artery injury after an RTA and falling off a horse, without acute gluteal compartment syndrome. We present a case of gluteal compartment syndrome due to rupture of the superior gluteal artery following a relatively minor fall. The patient required an emergency fasciotomy, which was performed within 4 h of the injury. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this rare condition.

Validated with images containing realistic anatomical noise, it is possible to improve image quality by utilizing grids for chest radiography with CR systems without increasing patient exposure. Increasing tube mAs by an amount determined by the Bucky factor is not justified.