title: [Stenting of dissected carotid arteries as a minimally invasive treatment modality].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to present our experiences with carotid artery stenting in the treatment of dissected carotid arteries, by means of self-expandable stents and selective employment of cerebral protection devices.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the period from June 1, 2006 to April 31, 2009, 6 patients with 6 dissected carotid arteries were treated with self-expandable stents (4 internal carotid artery dissections and 2 common carotid artery dissections). Two dissections were of spontaneous origin, 2 were traumatic, and 2 were iatrogenic. We applied cerebral protection filters selectively in 3 patients, based on morphological appearance of lesions. The criterion for the usage of protection devices was caudally oriented opening of the false lumen in order to prevent the possible migration of a thrombus from the false lumen during cranio-caudal deployment of self-expandable stents. We followed-up patients clinically and by means of duplex scanning throughout 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary technical success was 100%. During the 12-month follow-up period no clinical or morphological signs of treatment failure were recorded. None of the patients suffered any complication (cerebral vascular insult, transitory ischemic attack, in-stent stenosis or occlusion).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid stenting, with selective employment of cerebral protection devices, is a successful, minimally invasive, and low risk procedure in the treatment of carotid dissections in cases when conservative treatment does not bring improvement to local finding or patients' general condition.
authors.affiliation: Klinicki zavod za dijagnosticku i intervencijsku radiologiju, KB Merkur, Zagreb. vinko.vidjak@zg.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Vinko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidjak
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krnić
authors.forename: Karlo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Novacić
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slavica
authors.forename: Arijana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lovrencic-Huzjan
authors.forename: Vida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Demarin
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011859:Radiography; D015607:Stents