title: Angioplasty and stent placement in intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses and dissections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endovascular revascularization of intracranial arteries by means of stent-assisted angioplasty is technically feasible, effective, and safe in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology, Eneri, Clinica Medica Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lylyk
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceratto
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miranda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000379:methods*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome