title: Treatment of symptomatic high-grade intracranial stenoses with the balloon-expandable Pharos stent: initial experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report our first clinical experience with a CE-marked flexible monorail balloon-expandable stent for treatment of high-grade intracranial stenoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2006 and November 2007 21 patients with symptomatic intracranial stenoses (>70%) were treated with the PHAROS stent. In seven patients, the procedure was performed during acute stroke intervention. Procedural success, clinical complication rates and mid-term follow-up data were prospectively recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a median follow-up period of 7.3 months one additional patient died of an unknown cause 3 months after the intervention. A patient with a significant residual stenosis presented with a new stroke after further progression of the residual stenosis. None of the successfully treated patients experienced ipsilateral stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recanalization of intracranial stenoses with the balloon-expandable Pharos stent is technically feasible. The periprocedural complication rate and mid-term follow-up results were in the range of previously reported case series. This pilot study was limited by the small sample size and severe morbidity of the included patients. Final evaluation of the efficacy of Pharos stent treatment demands further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany. wiebke.kurre@kgu.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kurre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berkefeld
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitzer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumann-Haefelin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: du Mesnil de Rochemont
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome