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Updated: May 20, 2026
09:42
A Fibrin-Enriched and tPA-Sensitive Photothrombotic Stroke Model
Published on: June 4, 2021
Do silent infarcts modify the effect of thrombolysis for stroke?
A Kobayashi1, M Karlinski, T Litwin
12nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland. akobayas@ipin.edu.pl
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|July 13, 2012
Summary
Silent brain infarcts (SBI) were found in 47% of acute ischemic stroke patients. These infarcts did not increase the risk of hemorrhage or worsen outcomes after thrombolysis treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Silent brain infarcts (SBI) are common in stroke patients and are a known risk factor for future strokes.
- The impact of SBI on outcomes for patients receiving thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of SBI in patients undergoing thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.
- To evaluate if the presence of SBI on pretreatment CT scans is associated with patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of CT images and clinical records of consecutive patients treated with thrombolysis for a first-ever stroke.
- Analysis of SBI frequency and its association with outcomes, including intracranial hemorrhage, mortality, and death or disability.
Main Results:
- Silent brain infarcts were present in 47% of baseline CT scans.
- Patients with SBI were older and had higher rates of diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
- No significant differences were observed in the rates of intracranial hemorrhage, 3-month mortality, or death or disability between patients with and without SBI.
Conclusions:
- Silent brain infarcts were not associated with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage or worse outcomes after rt-PA treatment for stroke.
- SBI should not be a contraindication for initiating thrombolysis.
- Further research is necessary to fully elucidate the association between SBI and stroke thrombolysis outcomes.
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