Mechanical Thrombectomy in Pediatric Stroke: Report of Three New Cases

Mechanical thrombectomy for treatment of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is well-studied in adult populations, but not in children. We report 3 new cases of pediatric stroke treated using mechanical thrombectomy. Two cases of AIS and 1 case of CVT were identified from 2018 pediatric stroke clinic records. Thrombectomy was successful in 1 of the 2 AIS cases and in the CVT case. None of the children were asymptomatic after thrombectomy. One AIS case had good recovery than developed dystonia which responded to treatment; the second AIS case had residual hemiplegia; and the child with CVT had mild school problems. Mechanical thrombectomy is being increasingly used for pediatric stroke treatment. This study and recent literature reviews suggest thrombectomy holds promise as a treatment for selected pediatric stroke patients. Questions remain about the safety and efficacy of thrombectomy in children with stroke since large randomized controlled studies are not yet feasible.