TOPLINE:

Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) before endovascular treatment (EVT) was associated with a modestly increased risk for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke compared to EVT alone, a new meta-analysis showed. Although symptomatic ICH and asymptomatic ICH were both associated with worse functional outcomes, the benefits from IVT alone may mitigate these risks, the researchers suggested.

METHODOLOGY:

The meta-analysis included data for more than 2000 participants with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke (median age, 71 years; 56% men) from six randomized clinical trials. The analysis compared the effect of EVT plus IVT (mostly with alteplase, n = 1160) with EVT alone (n = 1153) for an increased risk for ICH.

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