Purpose: Collateral circulation (CC) is a key determinant of tissue viability and clinical outcome in large-vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. Whether automated collateral scoring on single-phase CT angiography (sCTA) provides prognostic information comparable to traditional visual assessment remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the predictive performance of visual versus automated collateral evaluation for functional outcome after endovascular therapy (EVT).
Conclusion: Automated collateral scoring on baseline sCTA achieves equivalent predictive performance to expert visual assessment for functional outcome after EVT. Their added consistency and reproducibility support the integration of automated methods to standardise collateral evaluation across centres, particularly where immediate expert neuroradiological assessment is not available.
