Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Stroke can be divided in ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is most often caused by an acute... Show moreStroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Stroke can be divided in ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is most often caused by an acute occlusion of one of the cerebral arteries. Acute stroke treatment aims at resolving these acute artery occlusions. This can be done with intravenous thrombolysis or with locally applied therapy, i.e. intra-arterial, with thrombolytics or mechanical thrombectomy. This thesis focuses on the evolution of intra-arterial stroke treatment in the Netherlands. It captures the period before publication of the large randomised controlled trials that would eventually lead to implementation of intra-arterial treatment as standard treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large cerebral artery occlusion. Show less