Reversal of Ophthalmic Artery Flow and Stroke Outcomes in Asian Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Unilateral Severe Cervical Carotid Stenosis

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical implications of reversed ophthalmic artery flow (ROAF) for stroke risk and outcomes in subjects with unilateral severe cervical carotid stenosis/occlusion. Methods: We investigated 128 subjects (101 with acute stroke and 27 without), selected from a large hospital patients base (n = 14,701), identified with unilateral high-grade cervical carotid stenosis/occlusion by using duplex ultrasonography and brain magnetic resonance imaging. All clinical characteristics were compared for stroke risk between acute stroke and nonstroke groups. Patients with acute stroke were divided into 4 subgroups according to ophthalmic artery flow direction and intracranial stenosis severity, and stroke outcomes were evaluated. Results: The acute stroke group had significantly higher percentages of ROAF (52.5%, p = 0.003), carotid occlusion (33.7%, p = 0.046), and severe intracranial stenosis (74.3%, p < 0.001). However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that intracranial stenosis was the only significant risk factor (odds ratio = 10.38; 95% confidence interval = 3.64-29.65; p < 0.001). Analysis of functional outcomes among the 4 subgroups of patients with stroke showed significant trends (p = 0.018 to 0.001) for better stroke outcomes from ROAF and mild or no intracranial stenosis. ROAF improved 10-20% stroke outcomes, as compared to forward ophthalmic artery flow, among the patients with stroke and the same degree of severities of intracranial stenosis. Conclusions: Patients with acute stroke and severe unilateral cervical carotid stenosis/occlusion significantly have high incidence of intracranial stenosis and ROAF. Intracranial stenosis is a major stroke risk indicator as well as a predictor for worse stroke outcomes, and ROAF may provide partial compensation for improving stroke outcomes.