• W M Coplin, F C Vinas, J M Agris, R Buciuc, D B Michael, F G Diaz, and J P Muizelaar.
• Department of Neurological Surgery, Detroit Receiving and Grace Hospitals, Wayne State University, Mich 48201, USA. wcoplin@med.wayne.edu
• Stroke. 1998 Aug 1;29(8):1573-9.

Background And PurposeSmall case series have reported potential benefit from thrombolysis after spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Our objective was to review our experience using intraventricular urokinase (UK) in treating selected patients with IVH.MethodsUsing medical records, we identified all patients who received ventriculostomies for CT-confirmed nonaneurysmal nontraumatic spontaneous IVH from December 1992 through November 1996. We reviewed charts and CT images and examined the data for associations with specific outcomes.ResultsWe identified 40 patients, 18 treated with ventriculostomy alone and 22 receiving adjunctive intraventricular UK. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of the two groups were similar (P = 0.5). While there was a trend for patients with any intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) to receive UK (P = 0.07), the mean size of IPH in those who received ventriculostomy alone was larger than in those who received adjunctive UK (P = 0.002). There was lower mortality in the group treated with UK (31.8 versus 66.7%; P = 0.03), but there was only a trend toward an increase in favorable outcome (22.2% versus 36.4%; P = 0.3). Overall, the most significant association with outcome was neurological condition at presentation (GCS >5 versus < or = 5; P = 0.003). Receiving UK did not increase the occurrence of complications or hospital length of stay for survivors (P = 0.5).ConclusionsIntraventricular UK remains a safe and potentially beneficial intervention. While it appeared to lower mortality, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial is needed to explore whether the therapy can increase the incidence of favorable outcomes.

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