Endovascular treatment of acute tandem occlusion strokes and stenting first experience

This study demonstrates the radiologic and clinical findings, etiologies and intervention strategy in 8 acute ischemic stroke patients with tandem occlusions. The mean age was 57 and mean NIHSS score was 19. Stent-assisted thrombectomy (SAT) was performed on all of the patients. Additionally, 6 patients underwent carotid artery stenting before SAT. Recanalization with TICI ≥ 2b was attained in 7/8 patients. The 90th day median mRS was 2 and mortality was 1/8. The etiologies of the tandem occlusions were either extracranial high grade ICA stenosis/occlusion or cervical ICA dissection. When the stent-first approach was applied with distal thrombectomy, high TICI and low mRS scores were obtained.