Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion

Rationale: Recently, two prospective multicenter RCT reported a potential beneficial effect of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with an acute symptomatic basilar artery occlusion (BAO). However, the high rate of crossover in BEST study and the long-term of recruitment in BASICS study influenced the validity of the results. Besides, a recently prospective clinical registry with large sample size (BASILAR) showed a significantly beneficial effect of EVT in BAO patients. Objective: To assess the effect of EVT in addition to best medical management (BMM) compared to BMM alone, in patients with BAO, caused by a CTA/MRA confirmed occlusion of the basilar artery on functional and safety outcome. Study design: This is a parallel group, randomized clinical trial of EVT with BMM versus BMM. The trial has observer blind assessment of the primary outcome and of neuro-imaging at baseline and follow up. Study population: Patients with acute ischemic stroke and a confirmed basilar artery occlusion by CTA/MRA. Main study parameters/outcomes: The primary effect parameter will be favourable outcome at day 90 defined as a modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 0-3. The estimate will be adjusted for the known prognostic variables age, pre-stroke mRS, time from onset to randomization, stroke severity (NIHSS) and collaterals and adjusted and unadjusted estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals will be reported.