title: Systemic thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the safety of IV thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients harboring unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) in a multicenter study and a comprehensive meta-analysis of available case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed prospectively collected data from consecutive AIS patients treated with IVT during a 4-year period at 4 tertiary-care stroke centers. All patients routinely underwent CT or magnetic resonance angiography during hospitalization. The presence of UIA was documented on the basis of neuroradiology reports. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) was defined as imaging evidence of ICH combined with an increase in NIH Stroke Scale score of ≥4 points. A systematic meta-analysis of case series reporting safety of IVT in AIS with concomitant UIA was conducted according to PRISMA recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1,398 AIS patients treated with IVT, we identified 42 cases (3.0%) harboring a total of 48 UIAs. The rates of symptomatic and asymptomatic ICH were 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] by adjusted Wald method: 0%-12.6%) and 7.1% (95% CI: 1.8%-19.7%), respectively. A total of 5 case series met our inclusion criteria for meta-analysis, and the pooled rate of sICH among 120 IVT-treated AIS patients harboring UIA was 6.7% (95% CI: 3.1%-13.7%). In the overall analysis of 5 case-series studies, the risk ratio of sICH did not differ between AIS patients with and without UIA (risk ratio = 1.60; 95% CI: 0.54-4.77; p = 0.40) with no evidence of heterogeneity across included studies (I(2) = 22% and p = 0.27 for Cochran Q test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our prospectively collected multicenter data, coupled with the findings of the meta-analysis, indicate the potential safety of IVT in AIS patients with UIA.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsivgoulis
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zand
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barlinn
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Shailesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Male
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Aristeidis H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Katsanos
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bodechtel
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iftikhar
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elijovich
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Alexandrov
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (N.G., G.T., R.Z., S.M., S.I., L.E., A.W.A., A.V.A.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Second Department of Neurology (G.T., A.H.K.), "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece; International Clinical Research Center (G.T.), Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology (V.K.S.), National University Hospital, Singapore; Department of Neurology (K.B., U.B.), Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden University Stroke Center, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery (A.A., L.E.), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; and Australian Catholic University (A.W.A.), School of Nursing, Sydney, Australia. avalexandrov@att.net.
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Alexandrov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000139:chemically induced*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator