Significance and characteristics of patients with Ribbon-like signal hyperintensity after acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES: We discovered a novel finding of ribbon-like signal hyperintensity of the cerebral cortex, named the ribbon sign, after reperfusion therapy. Herein, we report the significance and clinical characteristics of ribbon signs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and anterior large-vessel occlusion were prospectively extracted from the Tokushima University Hospital Stroke Registry between January 2011 and March 2020. Diffusion-weighted imaging findings were retrospectively assessed in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion, with or without treatment. RESULTS: A total of 140 patients (78 males, average age:75.7 years) were enrolled in the study. Among the patients, 113 (80.7%) underwent reperfusion therapy. Eighty-one (57.9%) patients underwent successful recanalization. The ribbon sign was more common in patients with successful recanalization than in patients with unsuccessful recanalization (53.1% vs. 8.5%, respectively;p