[Endovascular therapy of stroke].

Standard therapy of acute ischaemic stroke during the first three hours after symptom onset is intravenous thrombolysis. When contraindications exist, an endovascular approach might be possible. Intraarterial administration of thrombolytic drugs is the most common way. Additionally, there is an increasing use of mechanical tools that are expected to be faster and more effective. Three principles of mechanical thrombolysis are known: aspiration, extraction and fracturing of the thrombus. Different tools were tested clinically and some demonstrated its high efficiency. Larger studies are needed to compare those tools. Apart from recanalization of a cerebral vessel occlusion implantation of a stent might be necessary for prophylaxis of recurrent stroke.