title: Elective percutaneous intervention for intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses by interventional cardiologists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current "best" medical therapy with anti-platelet and/or anti-thrombotic agents for symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial (IC) disease is associated with high recurrence. IC catheter-based therapy (CBT) using balloon angioplasty with or without stent placement is an option for patients who have failed medical therapy. We sought to examine the outcomes of CBT for patients with symptomatic IC arterial disease managed by experienced interventional cardiologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 89 consecutive symptomatic patients with 99 significant (≥70% diameter) IC arterial stenoses who underwent CBT. CBT was performed by experienced interventional cardiologists with the consultative support of a neurovascular team. The primary endpoint was stroke and vascular death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Procedure success was achieved in 96/99 (97%) lesions and percent diameter stenosis was reduced from 91% ± 7.5% preprocedure to 19% ± 15% postprocedure (P < 0.001). The rate of in-hospital periprocedural stroke and all death was 3%. The primary endpoint of stroke and vascular death rate at 1 year was 5.7% (5/88) and at 2 years was 13.5% (11/81). The 2-year all-cause mortality was 11.3% (10/88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with symptomatic IC arterial stenosis who have failed medical therapy or are considered very high risk for stroke, CBT performed by experienced interventional cardiologists is safe and offers both high procedural success rates and excellent clinical outcomes at 1 year. CBT is an attractive option for this high-risk patient population considering the expected 12-15% rate of recurrent stroke at 1 year.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, The John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121, USA. rbadawi@msn.com
authors: Ramy A
authors: RA
authors: Badawi
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: White
authors: Tyrone J
authors: TJ
authors: Collins
authors: J Stephen
authors: JS
authors: Jenkins
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Reilly
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Grise
authors: Paul W
authors: PW
authors: McMullan
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Ramee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000401:mortality; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055820:New Orleans; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome