Safety data of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in presence of aortic arch thrombus is scant. Furthermore, IVT is debatable in patients with prior recent stroke. We present a 51-year-old woman with recurrent major infarction 5 days after a minor left MCA territory stroke. She had a floating aortic arch thrombus and she was treated safely and effectively with off-label IVT. Patients with small infarct volumes and mild/no residual neurological deficits after an initial stroke might be considered for IVT in case of early recurrence. IVT may be reasonable in a context of acute severely disabling stroke associated with aortic arch thrombus
