[Angioplasty with stenting for intracranial vertebral and basilar artery stenosis: three technical case reports and literature review].
Patients with intracranial vertebral artery (VA) or basilar artery (BA) stenosis have been mainly treated with medication. However, it has been reported that about 10% of patients experience restroke in the VBA territory, with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is regarded as one of the treatments although it carries the risk of restenosis, recoil or dissection. Stent placement is, therefore, considered to be a further option for the treatment of intracranial artery stenosis since it can prevent the restenosis. We report three medical refractory cases of intracranial VA (2 cases) or BA stenosis (1 case) treated with stenting, none of which had complications and their symptoms disappeared or diminished. Angioplasty with the use of a stent device is regarded as a useful treatment for intracranial artery stenosis, but its risk and long-term result need to be investigated further.
Yano
S
S
Azabu Neurosurgical Hospital, North 40, East 1, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 007-0840, Japan.
Houkin
K
K
Abe
S
S
Saitoh
H
H
Kuroda
S
S
Asano
T
T
Ushikoshi
S
S
Iwasaki
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D017130:Angioplasty; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D015607:Stents; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*