Objective: Although Guglielmi detachable coil systems have been widely accepted for treatment of intracranial aneurysms, primary stenting of aneurysms using porous stents, stent grafts, or implantation of coils after stent placement constitute emerging techniques in endovascular treatment. The aim of the present study was to use an animal model to investigate these different approaches to treat cerebral aneurysms with regard to the rate of closure and the histopathological changes within the aneurysm cavity and the parent vessel after stent placement.
Methods: We created aneurysms in 30 rabbits by distal ligation and intraluminal incubation of the right common carotid artery with elastase. Ten animals were treated with porous stents alone, 10 animals with stent grafts (covered stents), and 10 animals with stents and additional coiling via the interstices of the stent, which enabled dense packing of the coils. Five animals in each group were observed for 1 month and the other animals for 3 months. Histological analyses were performed, including immunohistochemical investigations for estimating the proliferation of the intima and possible inflammatory infiltration.
Results: Covered stents led to a complete and stable aneurysm occlusion with only minimal proliferative carrier vessel wall changes. One covered stent was completely occluded with old thrombus, and the other 9 remained patent. Porous stents occluded two of five aneurysms in the 1-month follow-up group and four of five after 3 months. However, progressive sprouting of neointima inside the carrier vessel that resulted in a stenosis of up to 40% was present. In the Stent + Coil group, one aneurysm showed recanalization after 1 month, and three of five aneurysms were recanalized after 3 months after coil compaction. Moreover, in-stent stenosis of up to 30% was present.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the possible shortcomings and problems of emerging stent techniques to treat intracerebral aneurysms, shows where technical advances have to be made, and describes in which cases of aneurysm morphology caution has to be exercised when considering an endovascular approach using stents.