Acute stroke imaging for thrombolytic therapy--an update

Abstract

More than ten years after its approval intravenous thrombolysis with rtPA still is the only approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke. In this review we aim to give an up-to-date overview of acute stroke imaging within and outside of approved indications for thrombolysis. We discuss the potential applications of modern CT techniques such as CT angiography and perfusion CT as well as stroke MRI for the selection-based treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Recent publications regarding diagnostic strength as well as new randomized trials and larger prospective but open studies are reviewed and discussed. Finally we present a suggestion for the selection of patients for thrombolysis within and beyond the 3-hour time window in the form of an institutional algorithm prioritizing according to present evidence and pathophysiological reasoning.