Characteristics of included studies
| Study | Study design | Patient number (% men) | Mean age (years) | Initial stroke severity (NIHSS) | T2*-GRE MRI parameters | CMBs prevalence (95% CI) | Differences CMBs(+) versus CMBs (−) groups | Thrombolysis (see online supplementary table S3) | FU time (days) | Symptomatic ICH definition | Other risk factors for thrombolysis-related ICH accounted for | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field strength (Tesla) | Echo time (ms) | Section thickness (mm) | |||||||||||
| Fiehler 2007 | Prospective, multicentre (13) | 570 (–) | 69 (59–77)* | 13 (IQR:8–17) | – | 14–49 | 5–7 | 15.1% (9.1 to 19.7%) | No differences in: sex and NIHSS score. Median age (IQR): 72 (65–79) versus 69 (58–77); (p=0.001) | IV tPA within 6 h | 10 | ICH with worsening of ≥4 points on NIHSS | – |
| Kim 2006 | Retrospective, single centre | 65 (57) | 67 | – | – | 30 | 5 | 15.7% (8.1 to 26.4%) | Hypertension and age associated with CMBs (p<0.05) | IV tPA within 3 h (n=12); IA UK within 6 h (n=53) | 1–3 | Symptomatic haemorrhage: any neurological deterioration within the first 48 h that could be attributed to the presence haemorrhage on follow-up MRI | Age, hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, stroke history, smocking, NIHSS score |
| Kakuda 2005 | Prospective, multicentre (3) | 70 (44.3) | 70.5 | 11±9.2/13±9.8 CMB (+)/(−) (mean/SD) | 1.5 | 14–47 | 5 | 38.5% (26.7 to 51.4%) | No differences in age, time to treatment, blood pressure, NIHSS, hypertension. Diabetes, dyslipidaemia, smoking | IV tPA within 6 h | 30 | ICH with worsening of ≥2 points on NIHSS | – |
| Derex 2004 | Retrospective, single centre | 44 (–) | 63.2+/−14.1 | 14±5.8 (mean/SD) | 1.5 | 26 | 5 | 18.2% (8.2 to 32.7%) | – | IV tPA at two different doses within 7 h | 7 | ICH with worsening of ≥4 points on NIHSS or ≥1 point on NIHSS consciousness level | Delay to treatment; tPA dose |
| Kidwell 2002 | Retrospective, single centre | 41 (–) | – | – | 1.5 | 15 | 7 | 12.2% (4.1 to 26.2%) | No differences in age, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, and severity of pretreatment neurological deficit. | IV/IA tPA within 3 h; IA UK or tPA mechanical clot disruption during IA thrombolysis | 7 | ICH with worsening of ≥4 points on NIHSS or ≥1 point on NIHSS consciousness level | Thrombolysis regimen |
CMB, cerebral microbleeds; FU, follow-up; GRE, gradient-recalled echo; IA: intra-arterial; ICH, intracerebral haemorrhage; IQR, interquartile range; IV, intravenous; NIHSS, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale; SD, standard deviation; tPA, tissue plasminogen activator.
*Median age (interquartile range)