Treatment of a basilar artery occlusion with intra-arterial thrombolysis in a 3-year-old girl.
BACKGROUND
Posterior circulation stroke attributable to basilar artery thrombosis is a rare entity and is difficult to diagnose in young children. Given the high rate of disability and mortality associated with the condition, endovascular revascularization may be a potential treatment strategy.


METHODS
We describe a 3-year-old girl who presented with a decline in consciousness associated with tonic and clonic movements of her extremities thought to be secondary to a seizure. She was found to have a basilar artery occlusion 18 h from last known to be normal and was successfully treated with intra-arterial alteplase. At 6 month follow up the child has made substantial improvements and is in preschool with difficulties with ambulating longer distances.


CONCLUSIONS
We report the youngest patient in the literature to date who was treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis for an acute basilar artery occlusion.
Bhatt
Archit
A
Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Naravetla
Bharat
B
Farooq
Muhammad U
MU
Majid
Arshad
A
Kassab
Mounzer
M
Gupta
Rishi
R
D002404:Catheterization; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator