title: Endovascular treatment of symptomatic intracranial atheromatous stenosis: a single center study of 21 consecutive cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This retrospective single-center study evaluated the technical success as well as the periprocedural and long-term complications of angioplasty with stenting of symptomatic intracranial atheromatous stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2005 to December 2010, 21 patients were treated by angioplasty with stent implantation for symptomatic atheromatous intracranial stenosis greater or equal to 50% at least 7 days after a stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median population age was 65 years (range: 41-88 years), and 76% (16/21) of the candidates had a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke before the event qualifying them for an endovascular procedure. In addition, 86% (18/21) were taking antithrombotic medication at the time of the qualifying event. Technical success was obtained in all cases. The periprocedural stroke or death rate was 9.5% (2/21), and there was no other stroke or death after 30 days during the mean follow-up of 1.4 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endovascular treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherothrombotic stenosis can lead to severe complications, particularly during the periprocedural period, but it also represents the only alternative treatment for patients who fail with medical therapy. Future studies need to focus on improvement of periprocedural complications. Essentially, this should include more rigorous selection of candidates as well as a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism(s) of the ischemic phenomenon related to stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Service de neuroradiologie, hôpital Bocage, CHU de Dijon, 2, boulevard Maréchal-De-Lattre-De-Tassigny, 21079 Dijon, France. adrien.chavent@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chavent
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voguet
authors.forename: G-V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Osseby
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palova
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricolfi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020765:Intracranial Arterial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome