Negative-FLAIR vascular hyperintensities serve as a marker of no recanalization during hospitalization in acute stroke

Background: Since acute fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity (FVH) is indicative of disordered blood flow, FVH is considered a marker of acute major arterial occlusion. Conversely, the role of the absence of FVH (negative-FVH) remains unknown.

Methods: Consecutive stroke patients were studied via magnetic resonance angiography, within 24 h of onset and major arterial occlusion. All patients were examined using serial angiography to evaluate the presence of recanalization. Patients were classified into negative-FVH and positive-FVH groups.

Results: A total of 72 patients (49 [68%] male patients, aged 76 [66-83] years) were enrolled. Ten patients were allocated to the negative-FVH group and 62 to the positive-FVH group. Initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 4 (2-8) in the negative-FVH group and 10 (4-21) in the positive-FVH group (p = 0.012). Recanalization was achieved in 1 (10%) of the 10 patients in the negative-FVH group and in 49 (79%) of the 62 patients in the positive-FVH group during hospitalization (p < 0.001). Patients with recanalization were older (p = 0.023), had higher NIHSS score (p = 0.008), were admitted earlier (p = 0.014), exhibited a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (p = 0.010) and anterior circulation occlusion (p = 0.021), and were more frequently treated with hyperacute recanalization therapy (p = 0.004). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that negative-FVH (odds ratio 0.087, 95% confidential interval [0.008-0.988], p = 0.049) was a negative independent factor associated with recanalization during hospitalization.

Conclusions: In conclusion, negative-FVH in acute stroke was associated with lack of recanalization during hospitalization.