PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ahn, J.Y.
AU  - Han, I.B.
AU  - Kim, T.G.
AU  - Yoon, P.H.
AU  - Lee, Y.J.
AU  - Lee, B.-H.
AU  - Seo, S.H.
AU  - Kim, D.I.
AU  - Hong, C.K.
AU  - Joo, J.Y.
TI  - Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Vertebral Artery Dissections with Stent Placement or Stent-assisted Coiling
DP  - 2006 Aug 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1514--1520
VI  - 27
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/27/7/1514.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/27/7/1514.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2006 Aug 01; 27
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endovascular treatment with stent placement or stent-assisted coiling was recently introduced as an alternative to parent artery occlusion in intracranial vertebral artery dissections. We describe the efficacy and limitations of this method.METHODS: Fourteen patients with intracranial vertebral artery dissection were treated with stent placement (10 patients) or stent-assisted coiling (4 patients). Double overlapping stents were deployed in 4 of 10 patients with stent placement alone. Angiographic follow-up at 6 to 12 months was available in 13 patients.RESULTS: In 13 patients with dissecting aneurysm, immediate angiographic outcomes were complete occlusion (1 patient), nearly complete (2 patients), and incomplete (10 patients). Follow-up angiograms of 12 of these patients showed complete occlusion (6 patients) and incomplete (6 patients; 1 unstable and 5 stable). Complete occlusion rates in follow-up angiograms were superior in double stent placement (75%) or stent-assisted Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) embolization to stent placement alone (0%). There were no instances of postprocedural ischemic attacks, new neurologic deficits, and no new minor or major strokes before patient discharge. On the modified Rankin scale applied in follow-up, all patients were assessed as functionally improved or of stable clinical status.CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial vertebral artery dissections were acceptably treated with stent placement or stent-assisted coiling, and the patency could be preserved at follow-up. However, the efficiency of stent placement alone for intracranial vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm was limited. Stent-assisted coil embolization or double stent placements are a viable alternative for complete occlusion of dissecting aneurysms.