title: CT angiography in acute stroke: does it provide additional information on occurrence of infarction and functional outcome after 3 months?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether acute phase intracranial CT angiography (CTA) independently predicts infarction and functional outcome in ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients with acute (<12 h) ischemic stroke who received intracranial CTA were investigated. Stroke severity on admission was determined using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Reconstructed CTAs were investigated for relevant pathology. Follow-up imaging was performed 24-48 h after admission. Functional outcome was assessed after 3 months using the modified Rankin scale. Single factor and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to predict infarction and dependency (modified Rankin scale > or = 3) on follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median NIHSS on admission was 10 (IQR 3-14). Out of the 151 patients, 61 (40%) had pathological CTA findings. Infarction was demonstrated in 60/61 patients (98%) with and in 67/90 patients (74%) without vessel pathology. Presence of infarction on follow-up imaging and dependency at 3 months were correlated with pathological CTA findings on admission in single factor analysis (each p < 0.001). After adjustment for age (> or =/<65 years), NIHSS (> or =/<10), sex, therapy, and time to presentation (> or =/<3 h), only NIHSS > or = 10 on admission was predictive of dependency at follow-up (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pathological CTA findings in the acute phase of ischemic stroke do not independently predict a poor outcome at 3 months after acute stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany. ritterm@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poeplau
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kloska
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dziewas
authors.forename: E Bernd
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Ringelstein
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
authors.forename: Darius G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nabavi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome