Prediction of thrombolytic efficacy in acute ischemic stroke using thin-section noncontrast CT

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 67; no. 10; pp. 1846 - 1848
• Main Authors: KIM, E. Y, HEO, J. H, LEE, S.-K, KIM, D. J, SUH, S.-H, KIM, J, KIM, D. I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 28-11-2006
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Platelets - diagnostic imaging; Blood Platelets - pathology; Blood. Blood coagulation. Reticuloendothelial system; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Cerebral Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Arteries - drug effects; Cerebral Arteries - physiopathology; Drug Resistance - physiology; Erythrocytes - diagnostic imaging; Erythrocytes - pathology; Female; Fibrinolytic Agents - adverse effects; Fibrinolytic Agents - pharmacology; Humans; Intracranial Thrombosis - diagnostic imaging; Intracranial Thrombosis - drug therapy; Intracranial Thrombosis - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Models, Biological; Neurology; Patient Selection; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polyethylene; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Care; Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Stroke - drug therapy; Stroke - physiopathology; Tissue Plasminogen Activator - adverse effects; Tissue Plasminogen Activator - pharmacology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - standards; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - trends; Treatment Outcome; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vascular disease; Cerebral infarction; Stroke; Nervous system diseases; Central nervous system disease; Prediction; Brain ischemia; Cardiovascular disease; Computerized axial tomography; Section; Cerebrovascular disease; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000244492.99737.a8

Thin-section noncontrast CT (NCT) can detect thrombi in large arteries and can provide a measure of thrombus composition based on Hounsfield Units (HU). A study using polyethylene tubes as a model of intracranial arteries concluded that the HUs of platelet-rich thrombi are lower than those of erythrocyte-rich thrombi. Thrombus HUs were measured by NCT in 34 patients with acute ischemic stroke before thrombolysis. Thrombi with lower HU counts were resistant to thrombolytics.