Welcome to Interventional Neurology

Interventional neurology is a subspecialty of neurology in which minimally invasive procedures are performed under radiologic or ultrasonographic guidance. Some of these procedures are for diagnostic purposes, and others are for therapeutic purposes. Endovascular procedures are evolving as an important strategy for diagnosing and treating many neurological diseases, especially cerebrovascular diseases such as atherosclerotic occlusive carotid disease, intracranial aneurysm, and cranial arteriovenous malformations. In recent years, catheter-based intra-artery thrombolysis to facilitate recanalization of proximal cerebral artery occlusion has increasingly been used. Furthermore mechanical embolectomy with rapidly developing different devices has been attempted in treating ischemic stroke patients within or outside the time windows of IV thrombolysis after stroke onset. Despite encouraging reports as well as disappointing outcome data, we still lack evidence-based data as to whether this invasive procedure alone or following frustrane IV thrombolysis (‘bridging concept’) offers a good benefit/risk ratio in selected patients. In contrast, endovascular coil embolization has become a treatment of choice for unruptured intracranial aneurysm along with standard neurosurgical procedures. Endovascular embolization can decrease the size of the arteriovenous malformation, reducing intraoperative blood loss, and target blood vessels that might not be surgically accessible. Along with world-wide developing strategies published in disseminated journals depending on the medical background of their authors (radiology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, neurology, etc.) a specific journal for review, update, and discussion is lacking. For renovating and generalizing the knowledge in interventional neurology, this new journal might be useful. On the occasion of the 21st European Stroke Conference we launch Interventional Neurology, the first international peer-reviewed journal of its kind to focus exclusively on interventional procedures in managing neurological diseases. Interventional Neurology will start to publish invited and submitted reviews, hypotheses, meta-analyses, and controversies along with commentaries and letters to the editor quarterly. This will be followed by original articles addressing new issues of this topic. New developments in methodology and techniques will be important resources for information exchange in this academic platform. You are welcome to contribute to Interventional Neurology. X. Liu, Nanjing M.G. Hennerici, Mannheim