‘A heterogeneous condition’
In a comment, Ratika Srivastava, MD, a pediatric neurologist at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, said she was glad to see a well-designed study dedicated to pediatric stroke. Neurologists have traditionally extrapolated from research on adult stroke due to the rarity of pediatric stroke and difficulty of diagnosis.
While physicians have previously relied on findings in adults, stroke presents differently in children. “The challenge is that it’s such a heterogeneous condition,” said Dr. Srivastava, who was not involved in the study. In children, stroke may have several different etiologies, such as a lesion in the heart or arterial disease. “Sometimes it’s amenable to taking the clot out and sometimes it’s not. So you have to figure out: Are they a good candidate for thrombectomy?” This study helps demonstrate that thrombectomy is a good option for some children with LVO stroke, she said.
The study was independently supported. Dr. Srivastava reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.