Use of the ABC/2 Method to Select Patients for Thrombectomy After 6 Hours of Symptom Onset

Objective To determine whether the ABC/2 method could accurately and reliably measure infarct volume and guide thrombectomy decision in acute stroke cases presenting with late or unknown onset.

Methods Four physicians who routinely use MRI for acute stroke imaging, blinded to the RAPID results, measured the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) infarct volume using the ABC/2 method. Measurements with ABC/2 (the index test) were compared with RAPID (the reference standard) to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy measures for various volume cutpoints. Thrombectomy decisions based on RAPID and raters' measurements using the criteria from the Diffusion-Weighted Imaging or Computerized Tomography Perfusion Assessment With Clinical Mismatch in the Triage of Wake-Up and Late-Presenting Strokes Undergoing Neurointervention With Trevo (DAWN) trial criteria were compared. Interrater and intrarater agreement was measured using kappa statistics.

Results Accuracy with the ABC/2 method was greater than 80% for each rater and each volume cut point. Interrater and intrarater agreement was substantial to excellent for each volume cut point. Treatment decisions with ABC/2 volume estimations showed strong interrater and intrarater agreement, and led to similar thrombectomy decisions compared with RAPID in more than 85% of cases.

Conclusion DWI infarct volume measurement using ABC/2 method shows strong accuracy and reliability and may be an acceptable alternative to RAPID software for the application of DAWN criteria for thrombectomy decision-making.