title: [Thrombolysis of the basilar artery: 5-year results from the Saarland stroke registry].
abstract: Acute thrombosis of the basilar artery has a fatal outcome if left untreated. The relatively good prognosis with intra-arterial thrombolysis makes it the therapy of choice for acute basilar thrombosis. In the Saarland stroke registry, we analyzed 47 patients with angiographically proven basilar artery thrombosis within the last 5 years. We observed a better outcome in patients with good income, with recanalization, and a short time between onset of symptoms and start of thrombolysis. The complications, such as intracerebral bleedings, occurred only in the group treated with rt-PA. Intra-arterial thrombolysis with urokinase or rt-PA is a relatively safe therapy, but should be performed in neuroradiological centers. With progressing symptoms the therapeutic window can be stretched up to 12 h, but coma lasting for more than 4 h is related to a bad outcome.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes Homburg, Homburg/Saar. nrreith@uniklinik-saarland.de
authors.forename: I Q
authors.initials: IQ
authors.lastname: Grunwald
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Struffert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papanagiotou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Voges
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reith
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator