Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 16, 2025; 13(29): 108924
Published online Oct 16, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i29.108924
Thrombolysis and percutaneous coronary intervention in cardio-cerebral ischemia: A case for a combined strategy
Maneeth Mylavarapu, Lakshmi Sai Meghana Kodali
Maneeth Mylavarapu, Department of Public Health, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, United States
Lakshmi Sai Meghana Kodali, Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Flint, MI 48502, United States
Author contributions: Mylavarapu M contributed to design the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Mylavarapu M and Kodali LSM contributed to the design, writing, and editing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Maneeth Mylavarapu, MD, Researcher, Department of Public Health, Adelphi University, One South Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530, United States. dr.maneeth.mylavarapu@gmail.com
Received: April 27, 2025
Revised: May 19, 2025
Accepted: July 31, 2025
Published online: October 16, 2025
Processing time: 124 Days and 18.9 Hours
Abstract

Co-occurrence of acute ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction, named concomitant cerebrocardiac infarction, is a rare yet critical medical challenge. Optimal management strategies remain undefined, particularly for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. This editorial discusses a case report by Zheng and Liu, where a 27-year-old male with simultaneous acute transmural anterior myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke was treated with urgent thrombolysis followed by elective percutaneous coronary intervention. We offer a perspective on the rationale behind this combined approach, discussing the delicate balance of addressing acute stroke and myocardial infarction. This commentary highlights the critical need for further research and clinical discussion to develop evidence-based strategies for optimal patient care in these complex, time-sensitive cases, encouraging critical evaluation of current practices.

Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Acute ischemic stroke; Percutaneous coronary intervention; Thrombolysis therapy; Cerebrocardiac infarction

Core Tip: Management of concomitant cardio-cerebral infarction requires balancing the need for rapid reperfusion in both stroke and myocardial infarction; this editorial discusses a case using initial thrombolysis and subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention to address this complexity. It emphasizes the need for clear, evidence-based protocols and calls for further research to support timely and effective interventions in complex, high-risk situations to improve patient outcomes.