Comparative study on the clinical outcomes of direct PTA and intravenous rtPA thrombolytic therapy for acute cerebral ischemic stroke

The outcomes of direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) were compared in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. The comparative study was conducted on 25 consecutive cases treated by direct PTA before October 2005 and 25 cases treated by intravenous rtPA between October 2005 and March 2007. In the treatments with direct PTA for acute cerebral arterial occlusion, the blood clot was broken up with a balloon using MRI and MR angiography (MRA) as an indication, and urokinase was administered. In the direct PTA treatment group, the recanalization rate was 88%, the good outcome rate (mRS 0-2) was 52%, and the bleeding complication rate was 16%. In the intravenous rtPA group, on the other hand, comparable results were obtained with a good outcome rate (mRS 0-2) of 56% and a bleeding complication rate of 12%. The recanalization rate was higher in the direct PTA group, while the outcome and the complication rate were similar to those in the intravenous rtPA group. These findings suggest that the time elapsed after stoke until recanalization, rather than the recanalization rate, represents an important prognostic determinant in acute cerebral arterial occlusive diseases. (author)