Should we thrombolyse prior to endovascular treatment in acute stroke

Abstract The superiority of endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute stroke due to large vessel occlusion has been proven in recent randomized trials. Yet, there are no randomized trials which have tested the additive effect of standard treatment with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) as pretreatment to EVT over EVT treatment alone. So far, the EVT treatment groups of RCTs most often had pretreatment with IVT. The current guidelines on acute stroke treatment rely on meta-analyses and systematic analyses from RCTs and observational studies on pretreatment with IVT + EVT. Clinicians also apply their clinical experience and local “in-house” protocols. We performed literature search on randomized controlled trials, systematic and meta-analyses and observational studies on recanalization therapies including intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment or thrombectomy in acute stroke. Here we present a review and an opinion on the current choice of treatment modalities.