title: Clinical use of stents for carotid artery disease.
abstract: Over the last 5 years, the clinical use of intravascular stents for treatment of carotid artery pathology has become more prevalent and the spectrum of potential indications has widened. Endovascular stenting is providing an alternative to surgical endarterectomy for treatment of cervical carotid artery atherosclerotic disease. This has prompted a North American, randomized, controlled clinical trial directly comparing these two therapies. In this article we review the major surgical endarterectomy trials that currently provide the scientific rationale for revascularization of carotid artery occlusive disease, critically evaluate the evidence supporting the application of endovascular stenting procedures for the treatment of occlusive and nonocclusive disease of the extracranial and intracranial carotid artery, consider the current clinical indications for use of stents in the carotid artery, and discuss current equipment, technique, and potential procedure-related complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Neurovascular Radiology, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Phatouros
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Higashida
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Lempert
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Dowd
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Halbach
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome