We studied 135 patients stratified to 2 different groups based on whether they presented with stroke symptoms within 4.5聽hours (4.5-hour group, 72 patients) or between 4.5 and 12聽hours (4.5- to 12-h group, 63 patients). All patients were treated with rt-PA after MRI confirmed superacute ischemic stroke (hyperintense in diffusion-weighted imaging but no hypointense change in T2-weighted image (T2WI) or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery). Clinical neurologic deficit was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission, at 24聽hours, and 7聽days later. A 90-day clinical outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).
There was no significant difference in the clinical outcome between the patients treated with thrombolysis within the first 4.5聽hours and those treated between 4.5 and 12聽hours. The 2 groups both had recanalization, mRS, and favorable outcome at 90聽days (P聽>聽.05).
Our study suggested that fast MR-based thrombolysis using rt-PA was safe and reliable in superacute infarction within 4.5聽hours and 4.5-12聽hours poststroke.