Successful treatment of pediatric stroke with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA): a case report and review of the literature.

Pediatric stroke is a rare disorder with a paucity of evidence-based treatment options, and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. In contrast to adult acute ischemic stroke, where the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has been studied in several large, randomized clinical trials, no high-level evidence exists for the use of thrombolytics in children with stroke. We report a case of a 15-year-old girl who suffered an acute ischemic stroke and had a dramatic improvement in symptoms following the administration of intravenous rt-PA.