Neuroendovascular interventions for intracranial posterior circulation disease via the transradial approach: technical case report.
OBJECTIVE
To describe our experience with the transradial approach for posterior circulation neurointerventional procedures. To the best of our knowledge, this approach has not been described previously for intracranial neuroendovascular procedures.


METHODS
The clinical and imaging characteristics as well as periprocedural outcomes of patients treated for intracranial posterior circulation disease via the transradial approach were analyzed retrospectively.


METHODS
Between January 1 and October 21, 2003, four patients with posterior circulation disease (aneurysm, n = 1, and atherosclerotic stenosis, n = 3) were treated via the transradial approach because of tortuous brachiocephalic anatomy. Procedural success was 100%, and there were no procedural complications. No technical difficulties were encountered.


CONCLUSIONS
The transradial approach is an alternative to the femoral approach for posterior circulation neuroendovascular intervention. This approach has several advantages over other approaches, and the vasculature can be less tortuous than that encountered during the femoral approach. These factors can result in increased device trackability and procedural ease.
Bendok
Bernard R
BR
Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. bbendok@nmff.org
Przybylo
Jason H
JH
Parkinson
Richard
R
Hu
Yin
Y
Awad
Issam A
IA
Batjer
H Hunt
HH
D000368:Aged; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods*; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D016122:Brachiocephalic Trunk / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*