[Thrombolytic therapy in arterial disorders other than myocardial infarction]

Thrombolytic therapy is used in many cardiovascular diseases other than myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism. In unstable angina, the results of trials have rather been disappointing. In prosthetic valve thrombosis, the role of thrombolytic therapy is increasing. In peripheral arterial thrombosis, intravenous thrombolysis was practically abandonned and local administration has been tried but no systematic attitude can be deduced. In cerebral arterial thrombosis intravenous alteplase thrombolytic treatment is effective and relatively safe in a well defined subgroup of stroke patients with moderate to severe neurologic deficit and without extended infarct signs on the initial CT scan.