Predictive factors for early neurological deterioration after intravenous thrombolysis of single subcortical infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery

Abstract Introduction Patients with a single subcortical infarction (SSI) in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) often experience early neurological deterioration (END) despite receiving intravenous thrombolytic therapy (IVT). In this study, predictors of END were investigated in patients with SSI in the MCA after IVT. Methods Patients with SSI in the MCA territory who had received IVT between June 2020 and 2022 were included. END was defined as an increase in the total National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score by ≥2 or in the motor NIHSS score by ≥1 within the first 72 h of admission. Patients with proximal (pSSI) and distal SSI (dSSI) were analyzed to determine SSI type‐specific predictors for END. Results We evaluated 174 patients with SSI in the MCA territory who underwent IVT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that pSSI (odds ratio [OR] = 0.242; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.104–0.564; p = .001), lower high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) (OR = 0.150; 95% CI, 0.033–0.682; p = .014), higher blood glucose (OR = 0.858; 95% CI, 0.752–0.979; p = .023), and higher red blood cells count (OR = 1.966; 95% CI, 1.154–3.349; p = .013) were risk factors for END. In patients with pSSI, HDL‐C and blood glucose were associated with END. No variable related to END was found in the dSSI group. Conclusions The proportion of END in patients with SSI in the MCA territory after IVT was not low; therefore, pSSI, HDL‐C, blood glucose, and red blood cells should be monitored closely. The frequency and predictors of SSI in the MCA territory differed between pSSI and dSSI.