Table 1.
Characteristics of patients.
| Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 | Case 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 56 | 74 | 62 | 48 |
| Symptoms | Limb weakness, limb ataxia, dysarthria and facial palsy | Limb weakness, dysarthria and sensory loss | Drowsy, dysarthria, limb weakness, facial palsy, partial hemianopia | Severe aphasia, Limb weakness |
| Culprit arteries | Middle cerebral artery | Basilar artery | Vertebral artery | Middle cerebral artery |
| Etiology | Atherosclerosis | Atherosclerosis | Atherosclerosis | Atherosclerosis |
| Presence of cervical artery atherosclerosis (carotid or vertebral/basilar artery) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intravenous thrombolysis | No | No | No | No |
| Mechanical thrombectomy | No | No | No | No |
| Baseline NIHSS score | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| NIHSS score at END (Onset to END time) | 8 (22.3 h) | 9 (24.5 h) | 8 (122.1 h) | 6 (48.6 h) |
| Onset to HDT time | 22.65 h | 24.9 h | 122.65 h | 49.3 h |
| NIHSS score at discharge (Onset to discharge time) | 3 (12 d) | 5 (10 d) | 6 (11 d) | 4 (12d) |
| mRS at 90 days | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
NIHSS, National Institute of Health stroke scale; END, early neurological deterioration; HDT, head down tilt; mRS, modified Rankin Scale.