title: Usefulness of stent implantation for treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the usefulness of intracranial stent implantation for treating patients with atherosclerotic stenosis and with recurrent, ischemic, neurological symptoms despite having undergone medical therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2004 and April 2010, we attempted intracranial, stent-assisted angioplasty in 77 patients with 85 lesions (anterior circulation 73 cases, posterior circulation 12 cases) and who had ischemic neurological symptoms with more than 50% major cerebral artery stenosis. We analyzed the results regarding the technical success rate, complication rate, and restenosis rate during the mean 29.4 month follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intracranial stent implantation was successfully performed in 74 cases (87.1%). In nine cases among the 11, failed cases, stent implantation failure was due to the tortuosity of the target vessel. One patient experienced middle cerebral artery rupture during the procedure, and we embolized the vessel using a microcoil. Five patients developed cerebral infarction in three weeks after the procedure, three of whom improved using conservative management, although the other, two patients expired. The mean number of residual stenoses decreased from 72.3% to 14.7%. Three patients demonstrated significant in-stent restenosis, i.e. more than 50%, during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As stent-assisted angioplasty in intracranial, atherosclerotic stenosis is effective and relatively safe, it can be considered as an alternative treatment for patients with recurrent, ischemic, neurologic symptoms despite having undergone medical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kuk Seon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Young Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Ik Won
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Eil Seong
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: You Mie
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sun Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: In Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Choon Woong
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Shiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tongfu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Linsun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li