title: Characteristics and endovascular treatment of intracranial vertebral artery aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical and angiographic characteristics of vertebral artery (VA) aneurysm were evaluated to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of endovascular techniques of VA aneurysms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case records of 38 consecutive patients with 40 VA aneurysms admitted during a 2-year period were reviewed. The data analyzed included age, sex, size of aneurysm, ruptured or unruptured, endovascular techniques, angiographic results after embolization, duration of follow-up, angiographic follow-up results and Glasgow Outcome Score at follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 38 patients, 33 patients had 35 dissecting aneurysms and five patients had five saccular aneurysms. Seventeen (42.5%) aneurysms were ruptured. Of the 34 patients treated with endovascular techniques, immediate post-procedural angiograms showed complete and subtotal occlusion (>90%) of 27 (67.5%) aneurysms and incomplete and no occlusion of 13 (32.5%) aneurysms, including four conservatively treated aneurysms. A clinical improvement or stable outcome was achieved in all the patients (100%) during a mean 12.1-month follow-up. There was no complication related to endovascular treatment and no rebleeding during the follow-up period. Angiographic follow-up (mean of 7.2 months, range 1-18 months) was available in all the patients. Complete and subtotal occlusion was observed in 31 (81.6%) patients, including one spontaneous thrombosis of a conservatively treated VA dissecting aneurysm. Recanalization in two patients (5.9%) at 6 and 9 months did not require retreatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This series demonstrates the safety and efficacy of multimodality of endovascular techniques for VA aneurysms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Dalian University, Dalian, China. lvxianli000@163.com
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Dianshi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jinbing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qingyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants