title: Predictors and timing of neurological complications following intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient or permanent neurological complications can occur in the periprocedural period following intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement. Which patients are at risk and the time period for maximum vulnerability among those who undergo intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement have not been formally studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the predictors and timing of neurological complications following intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement in the periprocedural period in a consecutive series of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed medical records and angiograms of consecutive patients treated with intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement in 3 academic institutions. We evaluated the effect of demographic, clinical, intraprocedural, and angiographic risk factors on subsequent development of periprocedural neurological complications. Periprocedural neurological complications were defined as new or worsening transient or permanent neurological complications that occurred during or within 1 month of the procedure. We also recorded the timing and nature of neurological complications in the periprocedural period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 92 patients were included in the study (mean age ± standard deviation: 59 ± 14 years; 59 were men). The overall rate of in-hospital neurological complications was 9.8% (9 of 92 patients). Eight out of 9 neurological complications occurred either during the procedure or within 6 hours thereafter. Presence of diabetes mellitus (P = .003) and use of balloon-expandable stent (P = .09) were associated with periprocedural neurological complications. The degree of pre- and post-procedure stenosis, morphological appearance, and length of lesion were unrelated to periprocedural complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with diabetes mellitus and those treated with balloon expandable stents are at high risk for periprocedural neurological complications. The first 6 hours following intracranial angioplasty and stent placement represent the period of highest risk.
authors.affiliation: Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. qureshi@umn.edu
authors.forename: Adnan I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Nauman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.forename: Ameer E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Haitham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: M Fareed K
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.forename: Alexandros L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Georgiadis
authors.forename: Ramachandra P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tummala
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*