Long-term prognosis of 452 moyamoya disease patients with and without revascularization under perfusion-based indications.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients treated under our perfusion-based strategy and assess whether conservative treatment without surgical treatment under our strategy is acceptable.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 315 adult and 137 pediatric MMD patients (follow-up period ≥ 3 years from 2001 to 2020) were included. Follow-up events in each patient group (pediatric or adult, surgically treated or conservatively treated) were evaluated and compared to each other using a log-rank test. Risk factors for stroke and nonstroke events were also investigated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

In adult-onset patients, the stroke event rates (person-year %) were not different between surgically treated patients and conservatively treated patients (2.00 % vs. 1.59 %, p = 0.558); however, conservative patients showed a higher stroke rate than surgically treated hemispheres (0.34 %; p = 0.025) and hemorrhagic stroke was the major type (18/26, 69.2 %). Hemorrhagic onset was associated with increased risk of stroke in adults (hazard ratio (95 % confidence interval) = 2.43 (1.10-5.36)). In pediatric-onset patients, no conservatively treated patients experienced stroke; however, nonstroke events occurred more frequently than in surgically treated hemispheres (4.86 % vs. 1.71 %, p = 0.020 for transient ischemic attack; and 7.91 % vs. 1.31 %, p < 0.001 for asymptomatic progression on magnetic resonance angiography).

CONCLUSIONS

In adult patients, conservatively treated patients experienced stroke more frequently, especially hemorrhagic stroke. An additive strategy to prevent stroke in hemorrhagic-onset patients without hemodynamic disturbance seems to be needed. Pediatric patients with mild hemodynamic disturbance can be safely observed without initial surgical intervention, but close follow-up for disease progression is necessary.