RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Hyperdense artery sign, symptomatic infarct swelling and effect of alteplase in acute ischaemic stroke JF Stroke and Vascular Neurology JO Stroke Vasc Neurol FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP svn-2020-000569 DO 10.1136/svn-2020-000569 A1 Simiao Wu A1 Grant Mair A1 Geoff Cohen A1 Zoe Morris A1 Anders von Heijne A1 Nick Bradey A1 Lesley Cala A1 Andre Peeters A1 Andrew J Farrall A1 Alessandro Adami A1 Gillian Potter A1 Ming Liu A1 Richard I Lindley A1 Peter A G Sandercock A1 Joanna M Wardlaw A1 , YR 2020 UL http://svn.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/26/svn-2020-000569.abstract AB Background Alteplase improves functional outcomes of patients with acute ischaemic stroke, but its effects on symptomatic infarct swelling, an adverse complication of stroke and the influence of CT hyperdense artery sign (HAS) are unclear. This substudy of the Third International Stroke Trial aimed to investigate the association between HAS and symptomatic infarct swelling and effect of intravenous alteplase on this association.Methods We included stroke patients whose prerandomisation scan was non-contrast CT. Raters, masked to clinical information, assessed baseline (prerandomisation) and follow-up (24–48 hours postrandomisation) CT scans for HAS, defined as an intracranial artery appearing denser than contralateral arteries. Symptomatic infarct swelling was defined as clinically significant neurological deterioration ≤7 days after stroke with radiological evidence of midline shift, effacement of basal cisterns or uncal herniation.Results Among 2961 patients, HAS presence at baseline was associated with higher risk of symptomatic infarct swelling (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.42 to 3.44). Alteplase increased the risk of swelling (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.57), with no difference between patients with and those without baseline HAS (p=0.49). In patients with baseline HAS, alteplase reduced the proportion with HAS at follow-up (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.91), where HAS disappearance was associated with reduced risk of swelling (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.47).Conclusion Although alteplase was associated with increased risk of symptomatic infarct swelling in patients with or without baseline HAS, it was also associated with accelerated clearance of HAS, which in return reduced swelling, providing further mechanistic insights to underpin the benefits of alteplase.