PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Pedro Lylyk
AU  - José E. Cohen
AU  - Rosana Ceratto
AU  - Angel Ferrario
AU  - Carlos Miranda
TI  - Angioplasty and Stent Placement in Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenoses and Dissections
DP  - 2002 Mar 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 430--436
VI  - 23
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/23/3/430.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/23/3/430.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2002 Mar 01; 23
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stent placement has been shown to increase the safety and effectiveness of balloon angioplasty in cervical carotid disease. Here, the authors investigated the feasibility, safety, and short-term outcome of stent-assisted angioplasty for the treatment of intracranial stenoses.METHODS: Thirty-four patients (age range, 12–77 years; mean age, 54 years) with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic lesions and dissections that produced stenosis of more than 50% were selected and treated with stents. Eighteen lesions (53%) were located in the anterior circulation, and 16 (47%) were in the vertebrobasilar complex. The mean stenosis was 75%.RESULTS: At follow up, 21 patients (62%) improved clinically, 11 (32%) remained stable, and the condition of two patients (6%) deteriorated. In all patients, the angiographic degree of stenosis was reduced to less than 30%. In 10 patients (29%), two or more stents were implanted: Two stents were implanted in six patients, and three, in four patients. The transient procedural morbidity rate was 12%, and the transient neurologic morbidity rate was 6%. One patient had hemorrhagic transformation due to reperfusion and died, and another patient had a massive myocardial infarction after 5 months. Twenty patients were followed up with angiography for at least 6 months, and none required repeat angioplasty.CONCLUSION: Endovascular revascularization of intracranial arteries by means of stent-assisted angioplasty is technically feasible, effective, and safe in selected patients.