Background and Purpose-Whether to withhold recanalization treatment when the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion exceeds a given volume is unsettled. Our aim was to assess the impact of recanalization on outcome in patients with baseline DWI lesion ≥70 mL (DWI≥70 mL) treated ≤4.5 hours from onset. We hypothesized that recanalization is beneficial in a sizeable fraction of these patients and that this is associated with a larger DWI lesion reversal. Methods-We analyzed 267 consecutive patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator for middle cerebral artery territory stroke in whom an occlusion was present on magnetic resonance angiography and 24-hour recanalization and 90-day clinical outcome could be assessed. After stratification relative to the 70-mL DWI lesion cut point, we calculated the odds ratio for recanalization of the primary arterial occlusive lesion (AOL score ≥2) to predict favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale score ≤2). DWI lesion reversal was compared between recanalizers with DWI≥70 mL with favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Results-Median (interquartile range) DWI lesion volume was 22 mL (10-60), and median onset time to imaging was 116 minutes (86-151). Twelve (22%) of the 54 patients with DWI≥70 mL experienced favorable outcome, of which 9 had recanalized. In patients with DWI≥70 mL, recanalization was significantly associated with favorable outcome after adjustment for age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (odds ratio =4.