Stent-assisted Gugliemi detachable coil repair of wide-necked renal artery aneurysm using 3-D angiography

PURPOSE: To report a wide-necked renal artery aneurysm treated successfully with stent-assisted Gugliemi detachable coil occlusion, assisted by three-dimensional (3-D) angiography. CASE REPORT: A 56-year-old woman with history of hypertension presented with a 2.5-cm wide-necked saccular aneurysm involving her distal right renal artery. A balloon-expandable stent was positioned across the neck of the aneurysm and multiple Gugliemi detachable coils were deployed through a microcatheter inserted through the interstices of the stent into the aneurysm sac, guided by 3-D angiography. Follow-up 3-D angiography at 6 months revealed a patent renal artery with continued exclusion of the aneurysm and preservation of renal blood flow. CONCLUSION: Stent-assisted coil occlusion assisted by 3-D angiography is a potential renal-sparing endovascular approach to treating wide-necked renal artery aneurysms with complex vascular anatomy.     

Single-center experience with the Neuroform stent for endovascular treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms

Background

Stent-assisted coiling is an accepted endovascular treatment (EVT) for wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. The Neuroform stent (Target Therapeutics, Fremont, Calif) is a flexible nitinol self-expandable stent that was designed to potentially overcome the limitations of balloon expandable coronary stents in the intracranial circulation. The aim of this study was to reenforce the use of this stent for EVT of wide-necked cerebral aneurysms.

Methods

Between March 2005 and March 2008, 24 patients harboring wide-necked cerebral aneurysms were treated with stent reconstruction of the aneurysm neck. Inclusion criteria restricted the group to adult patients with wide-necked intracranial aneurysms (ruptured and unruptured lesions). Immediate postprocedure angiography studies were performed to determine successful coil occlusion of the aneurysm as well as patency of the parent vessel. We assessed the clinical history, aneurysm dimensions, and technical detail of the procedures, including any difficulties with stent placement and deployment, degree of aneurysm occlusion, and complications. Clinical outcome was assessed with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS).

Results

The stent was easily navigated and precisely positioned in 24 of 26 cases. However, technical difficulties occurred in 9 patients, including difficulties in crossing the stents interstice in 6 cases, inadvertent stent delivery (n = 1), and incapacity of stent delivery (n = 1) and incapacity of crossing the neck (n = 1). These latter 2 cases were classified as failures of the stent-assisted technique. A single procedural complication occurred, involving transient nonocclusive intrastent thrombus formation, which was treated uneventfully with abciximab. Seventeen patients experienced excellent clinical outcomes (GOS 5), with good outcomes (GOS 4) in 5 patients and a poor outcome (GOS 3) in 2 patients. There were no treatment-related deaths or neurologic complications (mean clinical follow-up, 12 months). Angiographic results consisted of 17 complete occlusions, 4 neck remnants, and 3 incomplete occlusions.

Conclusions

The Neuroform stent is very useful for EVT of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms because it is easy to navigate and to deploy accurately. In most cases, the stent can be deployed precisely, even in very tortuous carotid siphons. Although in some cases delivery and deployment was challenging, clinically significant complications were not observed.     

Immediate and midterm follow-up results of using an electrodetachable, fully retrievable SOLO stent system in the endovascular coil occlusion of wide-necked cerebral aneurysms

OBJECT: Stent-assisted embolization is an alternative endovascular treatment method for wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Currently available stents have the limitations of poor radial force, difficult delivery systems, and lack of full retrievability. The authors report on their preliminary experience with the use of a new, fully retrievable, self-expanding neurovascular stent, which has a high radial force and easy delivery system, combined with coil or Onyx embolization for the treatment of wide-necked aneurysms, including 6-month follow-up data. METHODS: Fifteen patients with 18 wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were treated using the SOLO stent system and detachable platinum coils. Aneurysms were located at the posterior communicating artery (seven lesions), midbasilar artery (one lesion), internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation (one lesion), ICA-ophthalmic artery segment (eight lesions), and posterior cerebral artery (one lesion). Eleven aneurysms were small, six were large, and one was giant. Only one of these aneurysms was in the acute stage of subarachnoid hemorrhage; balloon remodeling alone failed to keep the coils in the aneurysm sac. RESULTS: Only one stent required retrieving and repositioning after it had been fully deployed, and retrieval was easy and successful. No thromboembolic complication, dissection/rupture, or vasospasm occured during stent placement. Follow-up angiograms obtained at 6 months posttreatment in the 18 aneurysms demonstrated that all stents were patent with no evidence of intimal hyperplasia or stenosis. In all cases but one, 100% lesion occlusion was observed at the 6-month control angiography examination. Only one aneurysm had recanalized. CONCLUSIONS: The fully retrievable self-expandible SOLO stent is a feasible, secure, and effective system with a high radial force and ease of delivery in treating wide-necked intracranial aneurysms in combination with coil embolization.     

Efficacy and current limitations of intravascular stents for intracranial internal carotid, vertebral, and basilar artery aneurysms.

OBJECT: Results of previous in vitro and in vivo experimental studies have suggested that placement of a porous stent within the parent artery across the aneurysm neck may hemodynamically uncouple the aneurysm from the parent vessel, leading to thrombosis of the aneurysm. For complex wide-necked aneurysms, a stent may also aid packing of the aneurysm with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs) by acting as a rigid scaffold that prevents coil herniation into the parent vessel. Recently, improved stent system delivery technology has allowed access to the tortuous vascular segments of the intracranial system. The authors report here on the use of intracranial stents to treat aneurysms involving different segments of the internal carotid artery (ICA), the vertebral artery (VA), and the basilar artery (BA). METHODS: Ten patients with intracranial aneurysms located at ICA segments (one petrous, two cavernous, and three paraclinoid aneurysms), the VA proximal to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery origin (one aneurysm), or the BA trunk (three aneurysms) were treated since January 1998. In eight patients, stent placement across the aneurysm neck was followed (immediately in four patients and at a separate procedure in the remaining four) by coil placement in the aneurysm, accomplished via a microcatheter through the stent mesh. In two patients, wide-necked aneurysms (one partially thrombosed BA trunk aneurysm and one paraclinoid segment aneurysm) were treated solely by stent placement; coil placement may follow later if necessary. No permanent periprocedural complications occurred and, at follow-up examination, no patient was found to have suffered symptoms referable to aneurysm growth or thromboembolic complications. Greater than 90% aneurysm occlusion was achieved in the eight patients treated by stent and coil placement as demonstrated on immediate postprocedural angiograms. Follow-up angiographic studies performed in six patients at least 3 months later (range 3-14 months) revealed only one incident of in-stent stenosis. In the four patients originally treated solely by stent placement, no evidence of aneurysm thrombosis was observed either immediately postprocedure or on follow-up angiographic studies performed 24 hours (two patients), 48 hours, and 3 months later, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A new generation of flexible stents can be used to treat complex aneurysms in difficult-to-access areas such as the proximal intracranial segments of the ICA, the VA, or the BA trunk. The stent allows tight coil packing even in the presence of a wide-necked, irregularly shaped aneurysm and may provide an endoluminal matrix for endothelial growth. Although convincing experimental evidence suggests that stent placement across the aneurysm neck may by itself promote intraluminal thrombosis, the role of this phenomenon in clinical practice may be limited at present by the high porosity of currently available stents.     

支架辅助弹簧圈栓塞在急诊栓塞颅内宽颈微小动脉瘤破裂中的应用

目的探讨支架辅助弹簧圈栓塞在治疗急诊治疗颅内破裂宽颈微小动脉瘤(最大径≤3mm)中的操作技巧及临床疗效。方法回顾急诊支架辅助弹簧圈栓塞治疗的7例颅内破裂宽颈微小动脉瘤患者资料,分析治疗方法、疗效、并发症、预后及6~12个月随访结果,评价支架技术的安全性、有效性及操作技巧。结果术后即刻造影显示,完全栓塞5例,次全栓塞1例,单纯植入支架1例;未发生破裂出血及血栓栓塞事件。术后3个月改良式格拉斯哥预后评分(GOS)结果显示,6例恢复正常,1例恢复良好。6~12个月随访未发现动脉瘤再破裂出血。结论支架辅助弹簧圈急诊栓塞治疗颅内破裂宽颈微小动脉瘤安全有效。     

Coil embolization with a hyperform occlusion balloon for an acutely ruptured wide-necked basilar tip aneurysm: case report

A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of severe headache. CT scan demonstrated subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and cerebral angiography revealed a wide-necked basilar tip aneurysm with a bleb and a small basilar artery-left superior cerebellar artery aneurysm. She was treated with coil embolization using a neck remodeling technique one day after SAH. Guiding catheters were introduced into the bilateral vertebral artery via the transfemoral route. A Hyperform occlusion balloon catheter was introduced into the left posterior cerebral artery (PCA) through the left vertebral artery, and was placed at the neck of the basilar tip aneurysm for neck remodeling. Then, the microcatheter for coil deployment was placed in the dome of the aneurysm through the right vertebral artery. The coil was deployed in the aneurysm while the balloon was inflated across the neck. The inflated Hyperform occlusion balloon was partially herniated into the dome of the aneurysm. The distal part of the balloon was positioned in the left PCA segment, and its proximal part was positioned in the basilar artery. The balloon conformed easily to the aneurysmal neck and its surrounding vessel structure. When the balloon was deflated, the coil did not protrude into the parent artery, and was stable in the aneurysm. Angiography immediately after the procedure showed complete occlusion of the aneurysm with patency of both PCAs. The Hyperform occlusion balloon is very compliant and supple, so it easily changes from its cylindrical shape when inflated to expand into the origin of the arterial branches emerging from the aneurysm neck. We think this balloon is a useful device for treating wide-necked aneurysms located at arterial bifurcation.     

Rebleeding of a vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm during stent-assisted coil embolization: a pitfall of the "stent and coil" technique

BACKGROUND: A stent-assisted coil embolization has been applied as a novel choice of treatment for vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs). CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old man suffered from subarachnoid hemorrhage three times within 2 hours. The left vertebral angiogram showed a VADA at the distal origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. The right vertebral artery was hypoplastic, and collateral circulation to the posterior fossa was poor. INTERVENTION: Stent-assisted coil embolization was performed under general anesthesia. The aneurysm was excluded from the circulation with good patency of the vertebral artery, although the fourth coil caused rebleeding from the aneurysmal dome during the procedure. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report that demonstrates rebleeding from VADA during stent-assisted coil embolization in the acute stage of its rupture. We have to be aware of the risks and be ready to prevent fatal complications with this novel technique.     

Double-stent method: therapeutic alternative for small wide-necked aneurysms. Technical note

The authors present two cases of patients with small, acutely ruptured, wide-necked aneurysms of the distal vertebral artery that were not amenable to conventional coil embolization and were instead treated by means of a double-stent method in which one stent was placed inside another. Angiography performed immediately after the procedure revealed a significant reduction in aneurysm filling; total occlusion of the lesion was observed after 7 days and confirmed 6 months later in both aneurysms. By placing one stent inside the other, stent permeability can be reduced, which may result in significant hemodynamic changes with accelerated aneurysm thrombosis. This double-stent method may represent a therapeutic alternative, especially in cases of small, wide-necked aneurysms in which conventional endovascular techniques or stent-supported coil embolization is not considered feasible or is believed to be too dangerous, and surgical treatment is contra-indicated.     

Combined endovascular stent implantation and coil embolization for the treatment of a vertebro-basilar fusiform aneurysm: technical case report

We describe a case of the combined application of endovascular stent implantation and Guglielmi detachable coil packing for the treatment of a vertebro-basilar fusiform aneurysm and review the literature on stent placement to treat cerebral aneurysms. A 70-year-old female presented with an acute headache from subarachnoid hemorrhage. A fusiform aneurysm with a broad-based neck and dome, measuring 15 mm, involving the union of the vertebral arteries and the proximal basilar artery was demonstrated on cerebral angiography. The aneurysm was judged to be inoperable and treated conservatively. Twelve days later the patient was transferred to our hospital for endovascular therapy. An intravascular stent (MultiLink) was placed across the base of the aneurysm through the right vertebral artery. After this, coil placement in the aneurysm around the stent was performed via a microcatheter guided from the left vertebral artery. After that a microcatheter was guided from the right vertebral artery through the interstices of the stent into the aneurysm, and additional coils were placed. Final angiography showed subtotal occlusion of the aneurysm and excellent blood flow of the parent artery through the stent. There were no new neurological deficits. Neither rerupture nor ischemic event has occurred. The use of stents provides another treatment for managing the difficult entity of intracranial aneurysms.     

Endovascular occlusion of wide-necked aneurysms with a new intracranial microstent (Neuroform) and detachable coils

OBJECTIVE: The long-term durability of the endovascular occlusion of cerebral aneurysms is one of the major factors limiting the more widespread use of this technique. Long-term occlusion of wide-necked aneurysms has improved with new assistive devices that seem to improve aneurysm occlusion while protecting the parent vessel. We report the use of a new intracranial stent--the Neuroform microstent--in the treatment of patients with wide-necked cerebral aneurysms. METHODS: Patients identified as harboring wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were evaluated for stent-assisted coiling. After appropriate anticoagulation was performed, depending on whether the aneurysm was ruptured or unruptured, the Neuroform stent was delivered across the neck of the aneurysm and deployed with a coil pusher. After stent placement, standard coil occlusion of the aneurysm was achieved in the majority of cases. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were identified as having wide-necked intracranial aneurysms suitable for stent-assisted coiling. A total of 49 aneurysms in 48 patients were treated with this procedure. In eight cases, stent deployment failed. Forty-one of the aneurysms were initially stented, followed by coil placement. Six aneurysms were stented only, and one aneurysm was initially coiled, followed by stent placement. There were five deaths (8.9%), one of which occurred secondary to a stroke after the procedure (1.8%). Four patients (7%) experienced thromboembolic events, three of which were considered to have been secondary to the procedure (5.3%). In addition, there were two femoral pseudoaneurysms. The overall complication rate was 10.7%. Five patients were available for follow-up angiographic evaluation, and their cases are discussed. CONCLUSION: Intracranial stenting may overcome important technical limitations in current endovascular therapy by improving the occlusion of wide-necked aneurysms while protecting the parent vessel.     

Utility of catheter-assisted Guglielmi detachable coiling in the treatment of wide-necked aneurysms

Summary Background. Catheter-assisted Guglielmi detachable coiling (CAGDC) is a technical option that was developed to allow the endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms. We report upon our experiences of the CAGDC in treating aneurysms with an assessment of its efficacy and safety. Methods. The effect of CAGDC of wide-necked aneurysms was retrospectively evaluated in 10 patients (5 females, 5 males, mean age 56, range 40–76 yrs) who underwent the procedure. Findings. All the aneurysms were successfully embolized with CAGDC. Eight patients presented with SAH from an acutely ruptured aneurysm. Six patients were available for an angiographic follow up (mean: 10.3 months, range: 6–12 months). At the angiographic follow-up, all the aneurysms were stable and occluded (3 aneurysms with complete and 3 with near complete packing of the sac and neck). Complications directly related to the procedure were encountered in two patients (one coil migration, one thrombo-embolism). Three patients died as a result of complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusion. CAGDC is a viable option for the treatment of wide neck aneurysms prior to balloon (or stent) assisted coil embolization.     

WingSpan Stent System in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms: clinical experience with midterm follow-up results

OBJECT: The WingSpan stent is a new self-expandable neurovascular stent designed for endovascular treatment of intracranial atheromatous lesions. The authors report their experience with the use of this stent for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with 40 wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were treated using the WingSpan stent. Twenty-two aneurysms (55%) were small and 18 (45%) were large or giant. In all but 4 aneurysms, embolization was completed by packing the aneurysm sac with platinum coils. In 4 dissecting aneurysms that were fusiform or too small and wide necked to be catheterized, the stent was used alone. In these cases, the stent bridged the aneurysm neck to allow for flow redirection and the potential stent-induced endothelization effect. RESULTS: Follow-up angiograms obtained in 3 of 4 aneurysms, treated with only stent placement, demonstrated aneurysmal thrombosis and parent artery remodeling in 2 patients and moderate decrease in size in 1. Follow-up angiography obtained at 6 months to 1 year in 31 aneurysms after stent-supported coil embolization demonstrated complete occlusion in 23 aneurysms (74.2%) with a progressive thrombosis rate of 66.7% (10 of 15 aneurysms), and a recanalization rate of 16.1%. CONCLUSIONS: In treating wide-necked intracranial aneurysms, the WingSpan Stent System is very flexible, secure, and effective. Its delivery system is very easy and exact in that it exerts higher outward radial force, thus providing an excellent conformability and a strong scaffold to hold the coils in place. It may offer an effective treatment when used alone in some fusiform or very wide-necked, small dissecting aneurysms in which other surgical or endovascular treatment strategies are not deemed feasible.     

Contralateral vertebral approach for stenting and coil embolization of a large, thrombosed vertebral-posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm. Case report

The authors report the successful staged stenting and coil embolization of a large vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (VA-PICA) aneurysm using the contralateral VA for access. A 67-year-old woman presented with a large ruptured VA-PICA aneurysm. Initial attempts to stent the wide-necked aneurysm from the ipsilateral side failed, so coil embolization of the dome was performed. During a second endovascular session, the aneurysm neck was successfully stented from the contralateral VA into the PICA. Six weeks later, coils were inserted into the aneurysm from the ipsilateral side. The coil result was stable at the 3-month follow-up examination.     

Brainstem infarction after delayed thrombosis of a stented vertebral artery fusiform aneurysm: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Recent technological advances have provided clinicians with stents that can be navigated throughout the tortuous proximal vessels of the posterior intracranial circulation. There have been few reports of fusiform and wide-necked aneurysms treated with stents. Of the known risks involved in stent placement in the intracranial circulation, delayed stent thrombosis has not been well described. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old man who experienced the sudden onset of a severe headache with increasing lethargy was found on computed tomographic imaging to have a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiography revealed a left vertebral artery fusiform aneurysm that incorporated the posteroinferior cerebellar artery origin. INTERVENTION: A low-porosity Magic Wallstent (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) was placed in the left vertebral artery across the aneurysm and the origin of the posteroinferior cerebellar artery. Angiography performed 9 days later revealed significant reduction in filling of the aneurysm. The patient returned 3 months after stent placement with severe neurological deterioration from a brainstem infarction caused by complete thrombotic occlusion of the left vertebral artery at the stented segment of the vessel. CONCLUSION: Stenting of fusiform aneurysms has provided an alternative to surgical clipping or parent vessel reconstruction. With the increasing frequency of intracranial stent placement for various cerebrovascular disease entities, we must become aware of potential complications associated with these procedures. Such awareness may influence decision-making processes regarding treatment and follow-up care.     

Technique to detect coil migration using mask images of rotational angiography during stent-assisted coil embolization for ultra-wide necked aneurysms: technical note

A novel technique was developed to detect coil migration to the stent interior using mask images of rotational angiography. Stent-assisted coil embolization under x-ray fluoroscopy control was simulated with a hand-made vessel model. The stent interior was observed with a rigid endoscope during coil embolization. After insertion of the coil, mask images using rotational angiography were acquired and multi-planar reformation (MPR) images were reconstructed on a workstation. The stent interior could be observed during coil embolization. Longitudinal MPR images showed the positional relationships between the stent, coil, and tip of the microcatheter. This technique was successfully employed in a patient to detect displacement of the tip of the microcatheter inside the stent. This technique is useful for monitoring stent-assisted coil embolization of an ultra-wide necked aneurysm, but requires extra time and increased radiation exposure, so we recommend use only if coil migration is strongly suspected.     

Horizontal deployment of an intracranial stent via an antegrade approach for coil embolization of a basilar apex aneurysm: technical note

The treatment of basilar apex aneurysms has progressively become more minimalistic in nature. Although initial coil embolizations were geared towards those aneurysms with a favorable neck to dome ratio, wide necked aneurysms have also been increasingly treated by the endovascular route. Several techniques have been described in the stent assisted coiling of basilar apex aneurysms, including the Y stent formation, waffle cone technique and horizontal stenting. Thus far, horizontal stenting has required access from a retrograde approach-namely, the posterior communicating artery. The authors describe a novel antegrade technique, through the basilar artery, for the deployment of a Neuroform-EZ stent (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts, USA) in a horizontal configuration across the neck of a basilar apex aneurysm. This approach allowed for the complete coil embolization of a wide necked basilar apex aneurysm.     

前循环动脉瘤的介入治疗（附40例分析）

目的 探讨前循环动脉瘤介入栓塞的临床疗效及并发症的处理.方法 对40例前循环动脉瘤患者采用介入栓塞治疗（42枚）,其中颈内动脉动脉瘤2例（2枚）,大脑中动脉动脉瘤18例（20枚）,前交通动脉瘤15例（15枚）,大脑中-后交通动脉动脉瘤5例（5枚）.结果 介入栓塞动脉瘤40例（42个）,栓塞率达100％的36个,95％的5个,90％的1个.随访共37例,3例失访.所有患者均复查头颅CT,原则上要求均复查DSA,但5例因经济原因不愿意复查DSA.32例患者均于出院后6个月复查DSA,2例复发,其中1例弹簧圈向瘤内移位,瘤颈部位复发;复查头颅CTA的患者中1例为90％栓塞,6个月后出现瘤颈少许显影,2例患者均再次使用电解可脱式铂金螺旋圈后达100％栓塞.术后恢复良好.结论 采用电解可脱式铂金螺旋圈治疗前循环动脉瘤效果好、并发症少、恢复快,近期效果显著.     

Vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms associated with fenestration: experience of five cases treated with Guglielmi detachable coils

BACKGROUND: Fenestration of vertebrobasilar junction is a rare congenital anomaly and often associated with aneurysm formation. We describe five cases of vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms in four patients associated with fenestration, which were treated with endovascular coil occlusion using Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs). The importance of preoperative computed tomography (CT) angiography to understand the complex anatomy of fenestration and aneurysm is emphasized. CASE REPORTS: Three patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and one patient presented with headache only. Among 3 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 patient was referred for endovascular coil occlusion after clipping of ruptured distal ACA aneurysm. A six-French guiding catheter was placed in the left vertebral artery via right femoral artery, except for 1 patient who had two vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms with complex anatomic relationship, accessed bilaterally. Five vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms with fenestration were treated with endovascular coil occlusion using GDCs. Postoperative angiography demonstrated successful occlusion of aneurysmal sac with preservation of basilar artery. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms are frequently associated with fenestrations. In addition to vertebral angiography on both sides, CT angiography may be a valuable tool for better understanding of complex anatomy of aneurysms associated with fenestration. The surgically difficult aneurysms such as vertebrobasilar junction aneurysm with fenestration can be successfully treated with GDCs.     

支架植入术联合弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内复杂动脉瘤

目的探讨应用新型颅内支架植入联合弹簧圈栓塞术治疗颅内复杂动脉瘤的疗效。方法对26例30个颅内复杂动脉瘤行支架植入术弹簧圈栓塞术,术后6～24个月进行随访。结果术后即刻疗效：24个复杂动脉瘤完全栓塞,4个次全栓塞（栓塞95%以上）,2个不完全栓塞;所有支架位置满意,载瘤动脉通畅。随访2例动脉瘤复发,未见支架移位、塌陷、狭窄,载瘤动脉通畅、光滑。结论颅内支架植入联合弹簧圈栓塞术治疗颅内复杂动脉瘤安全有效;应根据动脉瘤的具体情况来选择具体技术。     

Recurrence of a vertebral artery dissecting pseudoaneurysm after successful stent-supported coil embolization: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery are increasingly recognized as a cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. We present a case involving technical success of the stent-supported coil embolization but with recurrence of the dissecting pseudoaneurysm of the intracranial vertebral artery. The implications for the endovascular management of ruptured dissecting pseudoaneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery are discussed. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old man with a remote history of head injury had recovered functionally to the point of independent living. He experienced the spontaneous onset of severe head and neck pain, which progressed rapidly to obtundation. A computed tomographic scan of the head revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage centered in the posterior fossa. The patient underwent cerebral angiography, which revealed dilation of the distal left vertebral artery consistent with a dissecting pseudoaneurysm. INTERVENTION: Transfemoral access was achieved under general anesthesia, and two overlapping stents (3 mm in diameter and 14 mm long) were placed to cover the entire dissected segment. Follow-up angiography of the left vertebral artery showed the placement of the stents across the neck of the aneurysm; coil placement was satisfactory, with no residual aneurysm filling. Approximately 6 weeks after the patient's initial presentation, he developed the sudden onset of severe neck pain. A computed tomographic scan showed no subarachnoid hemorrhage, but computed tomographic angiography revealed that the previously treated left vertebral artery aneurysm had recurred. Angiography confirmed a recurrent pseudoaneurysm around the previously placed Guglielmi detachable coils. A test balloon occlusion was performed for 30 minutes. The patient's neurological examination was stable throughout the test occlusion period. Guglielmi detachable coil embolization of the left vertebral artery was then performed, sacrificing the artery at the level of the dissection. After the procedure was completed, no new neurological deficits occurred. On the second day after the procedure, the patient was discharged from the hospital. He was alert, oriented, and able to walk. CONCLUSION: We appreciate the value of preserving a parent vessel when a dissecting pseudoaneurysm of the intracranial vertebral artery ruptures in patients with inadequate collateral blood flow, in patients with disease involving the contralateral vertebral artery, or in patients with both. However, our case represents a cautionary note that patients treated in this fashion require close clinical follow-up. We suggest that parent vessel occlusion be considered the first option for treatment in patients who will tolerate sacrifice of the parent vessel along its diseased segment. In the future, covered stent technology may resolve this dilemma for many of these patients.