Association of reversed Robin Hood syndrome with risk of stroke recurrence

Background: Reversed Robin Hood syndrome (RRHS) has recently been identified as one of the mechanisms of early neurologic deterioration in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients related to arterial blood flow steal from ischemic to nonaffected brain. We sought to investigate the association of RRHS with risk of stroke recurrence in a single-center cohort study.

Methods: Consecutive patients with AIS or TIA affecting the anterior circulation were prospectively evaluated with serial NIH Stroke Scale assessments and bilateral transcranial Doppler monitoring with breath-holding test. RRHS was defined according to previously validated criteria.

Results: A total of 360 patients (51% women, mean age 62 ± 15 years) had an ischemic stroke (81%) or TIA (19%) in the anterior circulation, and 30 (8%) of them had RRHS. During a mean follow-up period of 6 months (range 1–24), a total of 16 (4%) recurrent strokes (15 ischemic and 1 hemorrhagic) were documented. The cumulative recurrence rate was higher in patients with RRHS (19%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1–37) compared to the rest (15%; 95% CI 0–30; p = 0.022 by log-rank test). All recurrent strokes in patients with RRHS were cerebral infarcts that occurred in the ipsilateral to the index event anterior circulation vascular territory. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, and secondary prevention therapies, RRHS was independently associated with a higher stroke recurrence risk (hazard ratio 7.31; 95% CI 2.12–25.22; p = 0.002).

Conclusions: Patients with AIS and RRHS appear to have a higher risk of recurrent strokes that are of ischemic origin and occur in the same arterial territory distribution to the index event. Further independent validation of this association is required in a multicenter setting.