Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Although endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke is classified as I evidence, outcomes after EVT in real-world practice appear to be less superior than those in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Additionally, the effect of EVT is unclear compared with medical treatment (MT) for patients with mild symptoms defined by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score <6 or with severe symptoms defined by Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score <6. ⋯ Evidence from RCTs and observational studies supports the use of EVT as the first-line choice for eligible patients corresponding to the latest guideline. For patients with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score <6, EVT showed superiority over MT, also in line with the guidelines. On the contrary to the guideline, our data do not support EVT for patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score <6.