Intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute stroke

Intra-arterial thrombolysis is a developing modality for the treatment of the acute stroke that shows promise in restoring cerebral arterial supply. The rationale for treatment via the intra-arterial route rather than intravenously rests on increased recanalization with preliminary evidence suggesting improved outcome. Successful treatment is due in part to selecting patients who are not at increased risk for unwanted sequelae, namely intracranial hemorrhage, based on clinical and imaging features. The authors describe some points of technique for the procedure with an emphasis on interpretation of findings to guide therapy and solve problems.