To the Editor:
The paper by Dashti et al. (1) describes 13 patients who received
mechanical thrombectomy with the AngioJet device as first line treatment
for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Mechanical thrombectomy is a
promising alternative to endovascular thrombolysis with thrombolytic
drugs. Hemorrhagic infarcts are common among CVT patients and it is
plausible - although unproven - that mechanical thrombectomy gives less
hemorrhagic complications.
There are however some issues that render the authors' suggestion to
use mechanical thrombectomy as a first line treatment for CVT untenable.
First, the paper gives insufficient information about the baseline
condition of the patients, especially the presence of intracranial
hemorrhages before the procedure. The Glasgow Coma Scale was optimal in 7
patients. In the absence of additional risk factors for a poor prognosis -
not mentioned by the authors - we would not treat these patients with
endovascular therapy. Second, follow-up is incomplete, and there is no
control group in the study. Without a control group it is impossible to
conclude that endovascular treatment is better than standard treatment.
The prognosis of CVT after heparin treatment is usually good. In the
'International study on cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis' (ISCVT),
a prospective study of 624 patients, mortality at discharge was 4% with
non-invasive anticoagulant treatment (2). This is better than the 15% peri
-operative mortality (2 out of 13) reported by Dashti et al.
We therefore disagree with the suggestion that mechanical
thrombectomy should be considered as first line treatment for CVT. In
patients without risk factors for a poor prognosis, anticoagulant
treatment according to international guidelines (3,4) is usually
effective. Patients with one or more risk factors may benefit from
endovascular treatment, but there are no appropriately controlled studies.
Therefore, we recently launched the TO-ACT study (Thrombolysis Or
Anticoagulation for Cerebral venous Thrombosis), an international
randomized trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01204333). Patients are
eligible if they have severe CVT, as defined by the risk factors:
intracranial hemorrhage, coma, mental status disorder or thrombosis of the
deep venous system. The type of endovascular treatment is to be decided by
the local investigator and may be pharmacological, mechanical, or a
combination. A sensitivity analysis of the type of endovascular
thrombolysis is planned. More information about the trial is available at
www.to-act-trial.org.
JM Coutinho, R van den Berg, SM Zuurbier, CB Majoie and J Stam
Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
j.coutinho@amc.uva.nl
References
1. Dashti SR, Hu YC, Yao T, Fiorella D, Mitha AP, Albuquerque FC,
McDougall CG. Mechanical thrombectomy as first-line treatment for venous
sinus thrombosis: technical considerations and preliminary results using
the AngioJet device. J Neurointerv Surg. 2011 Dec 5. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Ferro JM, Canhao P, Stam J, Bousser MG, Barinagarrementeria F.
Prognosis of
cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis: results of the International
Study on
Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis (ISCVT). Stroke. 2004;35:664-70.
3. Einhaupl K, Stam J, Bousser MG, De Bruijn SF, Ferro JM, Martinelli
I, Masuhr F; European Federation of Neurological Societies. EFNS guideline
on the treatment of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis in adult
patients. Eur J Neurol. 2010 Oct;17(10):1229-35.
4. Saposnik G, Barinagarrementeria F, Brown RD Jr, Bushnell CD,
Cucchiara B, Cushman M, deVeber G, Ferro JM, Tsai FY; American Heart
Association Stroke Council and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.
Diagnosis and management of cerebral venous thrombosis: a statement for
healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American
Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011 Apr;42(4):1158-92
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
To the Editor:
The paper by Dashti et al. (1) describes 13 patients who received mechanical thrombectomy with the AngioJet device as first line treatment for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Mechanical thrombectomy is a promising alternative to endovascular thrombolysis with thrombolytic drugs. Hemorrhagic infarcts are common among CVT patients and it is plausible - although unproven - that mechanical thrombectomy gives less hemorrhagic complications.
There are however some issues that render the authors' suggestion to use mechanical thrombectomy as a first line treatment for CVT untenable. First, the paper gives insufficient information about the baseline condition of the patients, especially the presence of intracranial hemorrhages before the procedure. The Glasgow Coma Scale was optimal in 7 patients. In the absence of additional risk factors for a poor prognosis - not mentioned by the authors - we would not treat these patients with endovascular therapy. Second, follow-up is incomplete, and there is no control group in the study. Without a control group it is impossible to conclude that endovascular treatment is better than standard treatment. The prognosis of CVT after heparin treatment is usually good. In the 'International study on cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis' (ISCVT), a prospective study of 624 patients, mortality at discharge was 4% with non-invasive anticoagulant treatment (2). This is better than the 15% peri -operative mortality (2 out of 13) reported by Dashti et al.
We therefore disagree with the suggestion that mechanical thrombectomy should be considered as first line treatment for CVT. In patients without risk factors for a poor prognosis, anticoagulant treatment according to international guidelines (3,4) is usually effective. Patients with one or more risk factors may benefit from endovascular treatment, but there are no appropriately controlled studies. Therefore, we recently launched the TO-ACT study (Thrombolysis Or Anticoagulation for Cerebral venous Thrombosis), an international randomized trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01204333). Patients are eligible if they have severe CVT, as defined by the risk factors: intracranial hemorrhage, coma, mental status disorder or thrombosis of the deep venous system. The type of endovascular treatment is to be decided by the local investigator and may be pharmacological, mechanical, or a combination. A sensitivity analysis of the type of endovascular thrombolysis is planned. More information about the trial is available at www.to-act-trial.org.
JM Coutinho, R van den Berg, SM Zuurbier, CB Majoie and J Stam
Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands j.coutinho@amc.uva.nl
References 1. Dashti SR, Hu YC, Yao T, Fiorella D, Mitha AP, Albuquerque FC, McDougall CG. Mechanical thrombectomy as first-line treatment for venous sinus thrombosis: technical considerations and preliminary results using the AngioJet device. J Neurointerv Surg. 2011 Dec 5. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Ferro JM, Canhao P, Stam J, Bousser MG, Barinagarrementeria F. Prognosis of cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis: results of the International Study on Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis (ISCVT). Stroke. 2004;35:664-70.
3. Einhaupl K, Stam J, Bousser MG, De Bruijn SF, Ferro JM, Martinelli I, Masuhr F; European Federation of Neurological Societies. EFNS guideline on the treatment of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis in adult patients. Eur J Neurol. 2010 Oct;17(10):1229-35.
4. Saposnik G, Barinagarrementeria F, Brown RD Jr, Bushnell CD, Cucchiara B, Cushman M, deVeber G, Ferro JM, Tsai FY; American Heart Association Stroke Council and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Diagnosis and management of cerebral venous thrombosis: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2011 Apr;42(4):1158-92
Conflict of Interest:
None declared