title: The basilar artery international cooperation study (BASICS).
abstract: Basilar artery occlusion is a rare cause of stroke with a high case fatality rate and an often poor clinical outcome among survivors. Our limited knowledge on the outcome in patients with basilar artery occlusion comes from small case series of selected patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main purpose of the registry is to collect preliminary data that will help direct the design of a future clinical treatment trial. The target number of patients included is 500.
  
  
  METHODS
  BASICS is a prospective, observational, multi-center, international registry of consecutive patients presenting with a symptomatic and radiologically confirmed basilar artery occlusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From November 2002 until December 2006 data have been collected on 400 patients, from 42 centers in 12 countries. Most patients were treated with IA therapy (55%), followed by antithrombotics (29%) and IV thrombolysis (6%). The overall mortality was 45%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. w.j.schonewille@neuro.azu.nl
authors.forename: Wouter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Schonewille
authors.forename: Christine A C
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wijman
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Ale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Algra
authors.forename: L Jaap
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kappelle
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012042:Registries; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents