Resolution of Mass Effect and Compression Symptoms following Endoluminal Flow Diversion for the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms

Abstract

Alleviation of aneurysm induced mass effect has been difficult with both conventional endovascular and surgical techniques. Our aim was to study the efficacy of endovascular flow modification on aneurysm-induced mass effect and compression syndrome, as demonstrated by cross-sectional imaging studies and clinical follow-up. Thirty aneurysms larger than 10 mm were treated by flow diversion alone and previously had undergone pre- and posttreatment cross-sectional imaging. Pretreatment MR imaging or contrast CT, follow-up angiography at 6 months, and follow-up MR imaging studies between 6 and 18 months were retrospectively analyzed. The neurologic and neuro-ophthalmologic statuses of all patients were recorded before treatment and at the time of follow-up cross-sectional imaging. At 6 months, 28 aneurysms were completely occluded, 1 had a neck remnant, and 1 had residual filling on angiography. Between 6 and 18 months, 3 aneurysms decreased in size and 27 completely collapsed as demonstrated on MR imaging. Before treatment, 6 patients had vision loss, 10 had double vision due to a third or sixth nerve palsy or both, and 1 had hemiparesis due to brain stem compression. On MR imaging follow-up, vision loss had either improved or resolved in all except 1 patient, double vision had resolved completely (7/10) or partially (3/10), and the patient with brain stem compression became asymptomatic. There was no bleeding observed in this series. One parent artery thrombosis resulted in a major infarct. Endovascular flow diversion is a highly effective technique for resolving radiologic mass effect and clinical compression syndromes.