[en] Since the majority of ischaemic cerebral infarcts is caused by thromboemboli, we determined the benefit of firbrinolytic therapy in acute stroke. Thromboemboli were induced in the middle cerebral artery of 21 dogs. Urokinase was started at different time intervals after infarction (1, 3 and 5 hours) at a rate of 1000 IU/kg/min. Angiographically controlled thrombolysis was achieved in all 15 treated cases, whereas in the control group (n=6) no case of recanalisation was observed. Systemic fibrinolysis occurred in all cases. Postmortem examinations of the brains showed no intracerebral haemorrhages. Our findings indicate the urokinase treatment may be of value in acute ischaemic stroke. (orig.)

[en] Seventy-four patients with one to eight proven intraaxial brain metastases received a total cumulative dose of 0.2 mmol/kg bodyweight gadobenate dimeglumine, administered as sequential injections of 0.05, 0.05 and 0.1 mmol/kg over a 20-min period. MR imaging was performed before the first administration (T2- and T1-weighted sequences) and after each injection of contrast agent (T1-weighted sequences only). Quantitative assessment of images revealed significant (P<0.01) dose-related increases in lesion-to-brain (L/B) ratio and percent enhancement of lesion signal intensity. Qualitative assessment by two independent, blinded assessors revealed additional lesions in 22%, 25% and 38% (assessor 1) and 29%, 32% and 34% (assessor 2) of patients after each cumulative dose when compared with combined T1- and T2-weighted pre-contrast images. Significantly more lesions (P≤0.01) were noted by both assessors after the first injection and by one assessor after each subsequent injection. For patients with just one lesion observed on unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted images, additional lesions were noted in 12%, 16% and 28% of patients by assessor 1 following each dose and in 24%, 27% and 30% of patients by assessor 2. Contemporaneously, diagnostic confidence was increased and lesion conspicuity improved over unenhanced MRI. For patients with one lesion observed after an initial dose of 0.05 mmol/kg, additional lesions were noted by assessors 1 and 2 in 9.1% and 11.8% of patients, respectively, after a cumulative dose of 0.1 mmol/kg and in a further 9.1% and 5.9% of patients, respectively, after a cumulative dose of 0.2 mmol/kg. No safety concerns were apparent. (orig.)