The Effect of Posterior Communicating Artery and Fetal Posterior Cerebral Artery Anomalies on Prognosis in Endovascular and Thrombolytic Therapy Patients

Objective: Acute reperfusion therapy is a critical intervention for stroke patients with the aim of restoring blood flow. The presence of anatomical anomalies, such as fetal posterior cerebral artery (fPCA) and posterior communicating artery (PCOM) variations, can impact treatment outcomes and patient prognosis. This study aimed to assess the potential influence of these anomalies on patients undergoing acute reperfusion therapy.
Material and Methods: Demographic characteristics of patients who underwent acute reperfusion therapy for stroke were considered among three distinct groups: the PCOM group, fPCA group, and control group. The demographic attributes examined for each group included gender distribution, mean age, presence of comorbidities, thrombolysis in cerebral infarction, national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS), and European cooperative acute stroke study II (ECASS II) scores. The significance of differences in these attributes among the groups was assessed.
Results: The study included a total of 106 patients: 42 patients in the PCOM group, 31 patients in the fPCA group, and 33 patients in the control group. No significant differences in demographic data were observed among the groups. The greatest decrease in NIHSS at the 24th hour was observed in the PCOM group, whereas the least decrease on day 7 was observed in the fPCA group. No differences were detected in the NIHSS values on the 24th hour and 7th day among the groups. When the 24th hour computed tomography scans of the groups were evaluated according to the ECASS II criteria, no significant differences were observed among the groups. Hemorrhage was not observed in 52.4% of patients in the PCOM group and 66.7% of patients in the control group.
Conclusion: The impact of fPCA and PCOM anomalies on patients undergoing acute reperfusion therapy for stroke was evaluated. Although no significant demographic differences were found among the groups, the study highlights the importance of further research to better understand their potential impact on treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Fetal PCA, acute stroke, PCOM