title: Endovascular Treatment for Near Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery : 30-Day Outcome and Long-Term Follow-Up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The treatment strategy and the correct incidence of near occlusion (NO) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is still controversial. In routine radiological imaging NO can easily be misdiagnosed as complete occlusion and there is no consensus on the standard treatment strategy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present our perioperative and long-term follow-up results of ICA NO patients treated with carotid artery stenting (CAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2004-2014 a total of 182 patients with ICA NO were evaluated for CAS. The study included 132 male (72.5 %) and 50 female (27.5 %) patients with a mean age of 70.2 years. Patients underwent a clinical neurological evaluation and radiological imaging of the carotid arteries before the CAS procedure. Of the patients 80 (44 %) were asymptomatic. The median clinical and carotid Doppler ultrasound (DUS) follow-up period was 64 months (range 18-124 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 182 patients CAS were performed, 4 patients (2.2 %) developed minor stroke, 2 patients (1.1 %) developed myocardial infarction but no major stroke or death occurred in the following 30-day period. Asymptomatic restenosis was detected in seven patients (3.8 %) in the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With sufficient neurological evaluation during pretreatment and posttreatment periods and when the procedure is performed with technologically developed products by an experienced interventional team, CAS is beneficial in patients with ICA NO.
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey. korayakkan@yahoo.com.
authors: Koray
authors: K
authors: Akkan
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Erhan
authors: E
authors: Ilgit
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Baran
authors: B
authors: Onal
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Emetullah
authors: E
authors: Cindil
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Evsen Polattas
authors: EP
authors: Solak
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Oncu
authors: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510, Besevler/Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Dilan Ece
authors: DE
authors: Geylan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Carotid artery stenosis; Carotid artery stenting; Endovascular therapy; Outcome; Pseudo-occlusion