Intracranial arterial stenting for symptomatic stenoses: a Latin American experience.
BACKGROUND
The proportionally higher incidence of intracranial atherosclerosis among Asian and black patients and a greater proclivity for intracranial artery stenosis in the Hispanic population merit drawing attention to a Latin American experience with intracranial arterial stenting.


METHODS
This is a retrospective analysis of an observational study of 33 intracranial lesions (each >50% stenosis) in 32 patients treated by intracranial angioplasty in 6 Latin American centers over a 3-year period. The investigation used a unique device, a balloon-expandable stent (Lekton Motion stent system, now Pharos, Biotronik, AG, Bülach, Switzerland).


RESULTS
The treated patients ranged in age from 30 to 81 years (mean, 59.3 years; SD, 12 years), including 24 male and 8 female patients (sex ratio, 4:1). Two were Asians, 4 were blacks, and the rest were white Hispanic. Our mean follow-up is of 10.2 months (SD, 7.84 months), with a mortality rate of 9.4% (3/32), a nonfatal complication rate of 6.2%, and a stroke rate (rate of recurrence) of 0%. The mean pretreatment stenosis of 68.75% (SD, 14%) was reduced to a residual of 5.16% (SD, 16%) (P = .000; 95% confidence interval, 56.8%-70.3%). A control angiogram was performed in 82% of patients, and in that case, the restenosis 50% or greater was of 8.7% during the follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
The treatment of intracranial stenosis with the Lekton Motion stent (Pharos) is feasible with a high technical success rate. Restenosis as well as the rate of new neurologic events during follow-up suggests some efficacy of stroke prevention by using the latest-generation, highly trackable, balloon-expandable stents.
Freitas
José Maria Modenesi
JM
Department of Neuroradiology and Neurological Endovascular Therapy, Hospital Santa Rita, São Paulo, Brazilia, CEP: 04013-004, Brazil.
Zenteno
Marco
M
Aburto-Murrieta
Yolanda
Y
Koppe
Gelson
G
Abath
Carlos
C
Nunes
José Aldemir
JA
Raupp
Eduardo
E
Hidalgo
Raquel
R
Pieruccetti
Marco Antonio
MA
Lee
Angel
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents
D000925:Anticoagulants