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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on April 2, 2009
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1561

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American Journal of Neuroradiology 30:1351-1356, August 2009
© 2009 American Society of Neuroradiology

INTERVENTIONAL

Clinical and Angiographic Follow-Up of Stent-Only Therapy for Acute Intracranial Vertebrobasilar Dissecting Aneurysms

S.I. Park^a, B.M. Kim^b, D.I. Kim^b, Y.S. Shin^c, S.H. Suh^d, E.C. Chung^e, S.Y. Kim^g, S.H. Kim^h and Y.S. Won^f

^a Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea
^b Department of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
^c Department of Neurosurgery, Catholic University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
^d Department of Radiology, Kangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
^e Department of Radiology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, Korea
^f Department of Neurosurgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, Korea
^g Department of Radiology, Ajou University College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
^h Department of Neurosurgery, Ajou University College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea

Please address correspondence to Byung Moon Kim, MD, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea; e-mail: bmoon21{at}hanmail.net

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little has been known about the clinical and angiographic follow-up results of stent-only therapy for intracranial vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms (VBDA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, clinical, and angiographic follow-up of stent-only therapy for VBDA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with 29 VBDAs (11 ruptured, 18 unruptured), not suitable for deconstructive treatment, underwent stent-only therapy. Feasibility, safety, clinical, and angiographic follow-up were retrospectively evaluated. Angiographic outcomes were compared between single-stent and multiple-stent groups.

RESULTS: All attempted stent placements were successfully accomplished without any treatment-related complication. Of the 11 ruptured VBDAs, 4 were treated by single stents, 6 by double overlapping stents, and 1 by triple overlapping stents. Of the 18 unruptured VBDAs, 6 were treated by stents, and 12 by double overlapping stents. One patient with a ruptured VBDA, treated by single stent, had rebleeding and died. None of the remaining patients had posttreatment bleeding during follow-up (mean, 28 months; range, 7–50 months). Eight patients with ruptured VBDA and all patients with unruptured VBDA had excellent outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, 0–1). The remaining 2 patients with ruptured VBDA were moderately disabled because of the initial damage. Angiographic follow-up was available in 27 VBDAs, 4 to 42 months (mean, 12 months) after treatment. Follow-up angiograms revealed complete obliteration of the dissecting aneurysm in 12, partial obliteration in 12, stable in 1, enlargement in 1, and in-stent occlusion in 1. Angiographic improvement (complete or partial obliteration) was more frequent in the multiple-stent group (17/17) than in the single-stent group (7/9; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: In this small series, stent-only therapy was safe and effective in the treatment of VBDAs that were not deemed suitable for treatment with parent-artery occlusion.