Characteristics That Affect the Long-term Clinical Outcome and Stroke Recurrence in Ischaemic Stroke Patients With Basilar Artery Atherosclerosis

Abstract

İntroduction: Posterior circulation stroke differs from anterior circulation stroke in etiopathogenesis. Studies have shown that the most common stroke aetiology in posterior circulation stroke is ischemic stroke due to large vessel atherosclerosis. However, even under aggressive medical treatment, the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in ischemic stroke due to intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis remains high. This study aims to obtain the rate of atherosclerotic disease of the BA in our ischemic stroke population, to determine its symptomatology, and to determine the factors affecting clinical outcome and ischaemic stroke recurrence in the symptomatic group. Material method: we included 107 patients who were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke with basilar artery stenosis. Results According to the results of our study, the degree of stenosis in atherosclerotic stenosis of the symptomatic BA was found to be an independent risk factor for stroke recurrence. Independent risk factors for unfavourable clinical outcomes in these patients were determined as female gender, stenosis being in the proximal segment, stroke mechanism being from artery to artery embolism, and congestive heart failure. Discussion The most striking result of our study is that clinical outcome was found to be closely related to the female gender, the stroke mechanism being artery-to-artery embolism, and the stenosis is in the proximal segment. If stroke mechanisms were evaluated more clearly, it would likely help provide individualized treatments.