Jonathan Birns1, Sam Qureshi2, Ruoling Chen3, Ajay Bhalla4. 1. Department of Ageing & Health, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Stroke Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jonathan.birns@gstt.ns.uk. 2. Department of Ageing & Health, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Stroke Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. 3. Department of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, United Kingdom. 4. Department of Ageing & Health, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Stroke Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Following the development of intravenous thrombolysis as a successful treatment for ischaemic stroke, advances in neurointerventional radiology have facilitated endovascular approaches to treatment. This article reviews the available endovascular therapeutic options and their evidence-base. SUMMARY: Initial studies demonstrated that endovascular treatment of ischaemic stroke with intra-arterial thrombolysis and/or the use of clot-retrieval, thrombus aspiration and stent-retriever devices produced early recanalisation and reperfusion and improved neurological outcome. More recent randomised trials, however, have failed to show translation of recanalisation into successful clinical outcome with 'time to treatment' proving crucial. In this rapidly evolving field, combined therapy incorporating intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis in combination with endovascular clot-retrieval has been developed and further studies are expected to yield better evidence to guide the optimal treatment of acute cerebral ischaemia.
BACKGROUND: Following the development of intravenous thrombolysis as a successful treatment for ischaemic stroke, advances in neurointerventional radiology have facilitated endovascular approaches to treatment. This article reviews the available endovascular therapeutic options and their evidence-base. SUMMARY: Initial studies demonstrated that endovascular treatment of ischaemic stroke with intra-arterial thrombolysis and/or the use of clot-retrieval, thrombus aspiration and stent-retriever devices produced early recanalisation and reperfusion and improved neurological outcome. More recent randomised trials, however, have failed to show translation of recanalisation into successful clinical outcome with 'time to treatment' proving crucial. In this rapidly evolving field, combined therapy incorporating intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis in combination with endovascular clot-retrieval has been developed and further studies are expected to yield better evidence to guide the optimal treatment of acute cerebral ischaemia.