Abstract: Abstract: A large ischemic stroke caused by malignant middle cerebral artery infarction can lead to severe cerebral edema, even cerebral hernia. This condition deteriorates and progresses rapidly, usually leading to death. Due to limitations of conservative treatments, decompressive hemicraniectomy becomes a favored option in clinic. Recent years, a series of ex⁃ perimental studies and clinical trials achieved reliable evidence that decompressive hemicraniectomy is an effective treat⁃ ment for patients who suffer from malignant middle cerebral artery infarction. With the successful surgical procedure, most patients benefit from a reduced mortality and improved functional outcome without severe disability. Nevertheless, plenty of issues about decompressive hemicraniectomy still need to be solved. Here, we reviewed researches of early diagnosis of ma⁃ lignant middle cerebral infarction and the application of decompressive hemicraniectomy as its treatment.

Key words: infarction, middle cerebral artery, brain edema, review, malignant middle cerebral artery infarction, decom? pressive hemicraniectomy, ischemic stroke