title: Early and intermediate-term outcomes with drug-eluting stents in high-risk patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the 1-month and intermediate-term results of treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis using drug-eluting stents.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Patients with intracranial stenosis who are at high risk because of either high-grade stenosis or medication failure may have an annual risk of recurrent ischemic events in excess of 40%. Drug-eluting stents may reduce the rate of ischemic events in patients with a low restenosis rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined rates of technical success (defined as reduction of target lesion to stenosis <30%) and 1-month major stroke or death in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis (> or =70% and/or medication failure). Patients' clinical and follow-up information during a mean period of 14.3 +/- 7 months were obtained. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the rate of major stroke-free survival during 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 18 patients (mean age, 58 +/- 16 yr; 12 were men) treated with either a sirolimus-eluting stent (n = 14) or a paclitaxel-eluting stent (n = 4) for stenosis located in the: intracranial internal carotid artery (n = 6), proximal middle cerebral artery (n = 4), intracranial vertebral artery (n = 4), vertebrobasilar junction (n = 2), or basilar artery (n = 2). There was one major stroke and no death observed in the 1-month follow-up. At the 6-month follow-up examination, no major stroke or death was observed. Major stroke-free survival was 86% (+/-standard error of 9%) at 12 months after the procedure. One symptomatic angiographic restenosis was observed during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low rate of major stroke or death was observed after treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis using drug-eluting stents in high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Trials Division, Department of Neurologyand Neurosciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA. aiqureshi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Adnan I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Jawad F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kirmani
authors.forename: Haitham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Pansy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harris-Lane
authors.forename: Afshin A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Divani
authors.forename: M Fareed K
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.forename: Nazli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Janjua
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkawi
mesh_terms: D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004343:Drug Implants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents