Impact of extracranial vertebral artery occlusion on outcomes of basilar artery occlusion patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy

Background Whether concurrent extracranial vertebral artery occlusion influences outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy for basilar artery occlusion remains uncertain.Methods Data were analyzed from a prospectively maintained stroke registry (January 2019–April 2025). Patients with angiographically confirmed basilar artery occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy were grouped by the presence versus absence of concurrent extracranial vertebral artery occlusion. Baseline features, workflow metrics, angiographic results, and in-hospital outcomes were compared. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and intravenous thrombolytic use.Results Among 56 patients, 26 (46.4%) had extracranial vertebral artery occlusion. The proportion of patients with an NIHSS score