Presence of anterior temporal artery associates with good outcome in acute atherosclerotic M1-middle cerebral artery occlusion.

We aim to investigate the correlation between presence of anterior temporal artery (ATA), the first major branch of middle cerebral artery (MCA), on conventional angiography and clinical outcome in patients with acute atherosclerotic M1-MCA occlusion. Consecutive patients with acute atherosclerotic M1-MCA occlusion from Nanjing Stroke Registry Program (NSRP) between January 2007 and December 2012 were included in this study. All patients underwent MRI followed by conventional angiography. From their data, we analyzed baseline characteristics, infarction patterns, DWI-ASPECTS, and collateral circulation. The correlation of ATA presence and good clinical outcome, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 2, at 3 months was also calculated. In 98 patients meeting entry criteria, the presence of ATA was found in 44 patients. Patients with ATA present were found to have less hypertension (p = 0.042), lower baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (p = 0.043), more small infarcts in perforating artery territory (p = 0.013), and a higher number of DWI-ASPECTS ≥ 7 (p = 0.034). Binary logistic regression analysis showed an adjusted odds ratio of 4.45 for a good outcome in patients with ATA presence (95% CI 1.52 to 13.03, p = 0.007). The presence of ATA can be used as a predictor of good outcome in patients with acute atherosclerotic M1-MCA occlusion.