Critical Age Affecting Functional Outcome after Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for Malignant Hemispheric Infarction.

Abstract

Although age already is known as a crucial factor affecting the functional outcome after a hemicraniectomy for malignant hemispheric infarction, previous studies have used arbitrary age cut-offs of 50, 60, or 70 years. Therefore, this study investigated predictors of the functional outcome after a hemicraniectomy and attempted to determine the critical age for an unfavorable functional outcome. A total of 38 patients with large hemispheric infarction were treated with a decompressive hemicraniectomy and the corresponding 1-year modified Rankin Scale (mRS) data obtained. An array of clinical variables was then investigated in relation to the functional outcomes. A multivariate analysis that used binary multiple logistic regression revealed that advanced age was a statistically significant predictor of an unfavorable 1-year functional outcome. In a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for age, a patient age >58 years was determined as an appropriate cut-off value for predicting an unfavorable outcome. The patients aged >58 years showed an 82% positive predictive value (PPV) for an unfavorable outcome with mRS ≥4, and a 50% PPV for mRS ≥5. Moreover, a patient age cutoff value of >67 years exhibited a 100% PPV for predicting an unfavorable functional outcome with mRS ≥4. Advanced age was identified as a significant predictor of an unfavorable outcome and functional dependency. The PPV of a patient age >58 years and >67 years for predicting an unfavorable outcome with functional dependency was 82% and 100%, respectively.