Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41614500›Full record

ArticleEuropean stroke journal2026

True versus pseudo-occlusion of the cervical internal carotid artery in acute stroke: A multicenter MR angiography study.

Christian Heitkamp, Pia Niederau, Arndt-Hendrik Schievelkamp, Nikolaos Ntoulias, Lukas Goertz, David Zopfs, Kai R Laukamp, Thomas Schömig, Jonathan Kottlors, Christian Nelles and 6 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in European stroke journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Christian HeitkampDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8988-0918
Pia NiederauDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Arndt-Hendrik SchievelkampDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Nikolaos NtouliasDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lukas GoertzDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
David ZopfsDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Kai R LaukampDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Thomas SchömigDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Jonathan KottlorsDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Christian NellesDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Simon LennartzDepartment of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Marios-Nikos PsychogiosDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Franziska DornDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Uta HanningDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Jens FiehlerDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8533-7478
Michael SchönfeldDepartment of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDifferentiating true from pseudo-occlusion of the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing thrombectomy is crucial but challenging. We aimed to investigate the ability of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) to differentiate true from pseudo-occlusion (defined as an isolated thrombus of the intracranial ICA suppressing ascending blood flow) of the cervical ICA in acute ischemic stroke patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsMulticenter, retrospective analysis of acute ischemic stroke patients with true or pseudo-occlusion of the cervical ICA and subsequent thrombectomy. Patients with preprocedural CE-MRA showing a lack of contrast filling in the cervical ICA on the symptomatic side were included. Six readers (three radiology fellows and three board-certified radiologists) independently evaluated the CE-MRA images for true or pseudo-occlusion of the cervical ICA using a rating scheme. Their assessments were compared with DSA results as the reference standard. Diagnostic accuracy measures, as well as inter- and intra-reader reliability for detecting pseudo-occlusion, were calculated and compared between subgroups.

resultsA total of 41 patients were included. The median age was 73 years, and 39% were female. According to the reference standard, 16 of 41 (39%) patients had a pseudo-occlusion of the cervical ICA, while the remainder had a true occlusion. The aggregated sensitivity and specificity from all readers were 72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 62%-81%) and 86% (95% CI: 79%-91%), respectively. Board-certified radiologists performed better, with a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI: 67%-91%) and specificity of 92% (95% CI: 83%-97%). Overall, inter-reader agreement was moderate (κ = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.31-0.65) and reached substantial agreement within the board-certified radiologists subgroup (κ = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45-0.85).

conclusionDifferentiating true occlusion from pseudo-occlusion of the cervical ICA using CE-MRA is feasible but requires training in specific imaging characteristics as well as experience in interpreting them, as evidenced by the higher diagnostic accuracy of board-certified radiologists. Correct distinction help in optimal material selection (e.g. size and type of guiding catheter) prior to endovascular treatment.

Indexed as

Carotid Artery, InternalCarotid StenosisIschemic StrokeMagnetic Resonance AngiographyStrokeAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReproducibility of ResultsRetrospective StudiesThrombectomydigital subtraction angiography%MR angiographyStrokethrombectomy

Identifiers

PMID41614500
PMCPMC12866277

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.