Novel intra-arterial strategies in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke.

Acute ischaemic stroke is among the leading causes of death and disability in developed societies. I.v. and intra-arterial thrombolysis, and mechanical thrombectomy carried out within the appropriate time window can result in superior clinical outcomes compared with traditional therapy consisting of anticoagulation and/or aspirin. In cases where thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy have not been proven effective or have failed to result in rapid clinical and/or angiographic improvement, novel intra-arterial strategies may be applied by experienced interventional neuroradiologists to achieve recanalization of recalcitrant vessel occlusions with good clinical outcomes.