Safety and short-term results of stent-assisted angioplasty for the treatment of intracranial arterial stenosis

Abstract

To evaluate the safety and short-term outcome of endovascular stent-assisted angioplasty for the treatment of intracranial arterial stenosis. Angioplasty and stent placement were administered to treat 46 patients with lesions of atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis, including 16 lesions of basilar artery, 12 of vertebral artery, 13 of internal carotid artery and 9 of middle cerebral artery. Technical success was achieved in 49 of 50 vessels (98%), with no procedure-related death or cerebral ischemic attack. Extracranial internal carotid artery dissection occurred in 1 patient and was successfully treated with a self-expand stent. One patient had subarachnoid hemorrhage because of perforation by microwire with no permanent neurologic deficit, and another 2 patients had groin hematoma. Angiographic examination immediately after stenting revealed that the stenosis rate was significantly reduced (72.4% +/- 12.3% vs 10.6% +/- 7.8%). There was no cerebral ischemic attack in the 37 patients who were clinically followed up (6 - 18 months, mean of 8.5 months). Angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of intracranial stenosis is safe and feasible, and it may be favorable for decreasing the incidence of ischemic attack.