title: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of proximal vertebral artery stenosis: long-term clinical follow-up of 16 consecutive patients.
abstract: We report long-term (average 30 months) clinical and radiological follow-up of 16 consecutive patients with uni- or bilateral proximal vertebral artery stenosis who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), without stenting, between 1995 and 1998. Assessment was performed by an independent neurologist. All patients but one remained asymptomatic during follow-up; moderate restenosis was observed in four. PTA of the proximal vertebral artery is safe but in the absence of knowledge of the natural history of atherosclerotic vertebral artery stenosis, whether it is beneficial or not remains unproven. The decision as to whether to perform this procedure is individual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, Hôpital Salengro, CHRU Lille, 59037 cedex, France. dleys@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gautier
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Godefroy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koussa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hénon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leys
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pruvo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*