Pittsburgh outcomes after stroke thrombectomy score predicts outcomes after endovascular therapy for anterior circulation large vessel occlusions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prognostication tools that predict good outcome in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusions after endovascular therapy are lacking. We aim to develop a tool that incorporates clinical and imaging data to predict outcomes after endovascular therapy. METHODS In a derivation cohort of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke patients treated with endovascular therapy within 8 hours from time last seen well (n=247), we performed logistic regression to identify independent predictors of good outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale, 0-2). Factors were weighted based on β-coefficients to derive the Pittsburgh Outcomes After Stroke Thrombectomy (POST) score. POST was validated in an institutional endovascular database (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, n=393) and the Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution Study-2 (DEFUSE-2) data set (n=105), as well as in patients treated beyond 8 hours (n=194) and in octogenarians (n=111). RESULTS In the derivation cohort, independent predictors (P<0.1) of good outcome included 24- to 72-hour final infarct volume (in cm(3), P<0.001), age (years, P<0.001), and parenchymal hematoma types 1 and 2 (H, P=0.01). POST was calculated as age+0.5×final infarct volume+15×H. Patients with POST score <60 had a 91% chance of good outcome compared with 4% with POST score ≥120. POST accurately predicted good outcomes in the derivation (area under the curve [AUC]=0.85) and validation cohorts (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, AUC=0.81; DEFUSE-2, AUC=0.86), as well as in patients treated beyond 8 hours (AUC, 0.85) and octogenarians (AUC=0.76). POST had better predictive accuracy for good and poor outcome than the ischemic stroke predictive risk score (iSCORE). CONCLUSIONS POST score is a validated predictor of outcome in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusions after endovascular therapy.