title: Assessment of the Intracranial Stents Patency and Re-Stenosis by 16-Slice CT Angiography with Optimized Sharp Kernel : Preliminary Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our retrospective study aimed to determine whether 16-slice computerized tomography (CT) angiography optimized sharp kernel is suitable for the evaluation of visibility, luminal patency and re-stenosis of intracranial stents in comparison with conventional angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with symptomatic intracranial stenotic lesions underwent balloon expandable stent deployment of these lesions (10 middle cerebral arteries, 2 intracranial vertebral arteries, and 3 intracranial internal carotid arteries). CT angiography follow-up ranged from 6 to 15 months (mean follow-up, 8 months) after implantation of intracranial stents and conventional angiography was confirmed within 2 days. Curved multiplanar reformations with maximal intensity projection (MIP) with optimal window settings for assessment of lumen of intracranial stents were evaluated for visible lumen diameter, stent patency (contrast distal to the stent as an indirect sign), and re-stenosis by two experienced radiologists who blinded to the reports from the conventional angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of stents deployed into symptomatic stenotic lesions. All stents were classified as patent and no re-stenosis, which was correlated with results of conventional angiography. Parts of the stent lumen could be visualized in all cases. On average, 57% of the stent lumen diameter was visible using optimized sharp kernel. Significant improvement of lumen visualization (22%, p<0.01) was observed using the optimized sharp kernel compared with the standard sharp kernel. Inter-observer agreements on the measurement of lumen diameter and density were judged as good, respectively (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sixteen-slice CT using the optimized sharp kernel may provide a useful information for evaluation of lumen diameter patency, and re-stenosis of intracranial stents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.forename: Tae Hong
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Hwa
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyung Pil
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chang Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Suk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim