[Eighteen years' experience of thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase (author's transl)].

18 years clinical experience with thrombolytic therapy has shown that venous and arterial thrombotic occlusions which persist not only for a few days but also for weeks and 2 to 4 months can be dissolved in about 60-70% of the cases by intravenous infusion of streptokinase. Although this treatment is one of the great break-throughs of internal medicine in this century it is not yet in general use. The reason for this is that the risk of a deleterious bleeding is difficult to assess. This and also the numerous contraindications can be diminished by direct infiltration of an intravasal clot with a relatively small amount of streptokinase through a catheter.