Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Middle Cerebral Artery Bifurcation Aneurysms. A Retrospective Observational Study of Short- and Long-Term Follow-Up

Background Insertion of a balloon-expandable stent (BES) in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis is a treatment option for reperfusion therapy. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up after insertion of balloon-expandable stents in patients with symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis. Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained for retrospective review of patient data. Thirty-four patients (15 men, 19 women; median age, 67.5 years) with symptomatic MCA stenosis underwent balloon-expandable stent insertion between June 2008 and December 2010. Patient records were reviewed for angiographic findings and clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up. Results Of these patients, 22 presented with acute ischemic stroke with underlying MCA atherosclerosis and had good clinical outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score (mRS): 0–2) after reperfusion therapy. Indications for stenting for the remaining 12 patients were recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) refractory to medical therapy and MCA stenosis greater than 70%. During the poststenting follow-up period, which ranged from 61 to 108 months (median, 67.5 months), a TIA occurred in five patients. Of these five patients, one experienced a complete reocclusion of the MCA stent, and three had symptomatic restenosis. The remaining 29 patients did not experience any further ischemic events or restenosis during the follow-up period. Conclusions In our study, treatment with balloon-expandable stents in patients with symptomatic MCA stenosis resulted in low recurrence rates for both ischemic events and restenosis during long-term follow-up.

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Long-term results of middle cerebral artery aneurysm clipping in the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2017.10.jns172183 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 130 (3) ◽

pp. 895-901 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael A. Mooney ◽

Elias D. Simon ◽

Scott Brigeman ◽

Peter Nakaji ◽

Joseph M. Zabramski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Middle Cerebral Artery ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Cerebral Artery ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Ruptured Aneurysm ◽

Microsurgical Clipping ◽

Mca Aneurysm

OBJECTIVEA direct comparison of endovascular versus microsurgical treatment of ruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms in randomized trials is lacking. As endovascular treatment strategies continue to evolve, the number of reports of endovascular treatment of these lesions is increasing. Herein, the authors report a detailed post hoc analysis of ruptured MCA aneurysms treated by microsurgical clipping from the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial (BRAT).METHODSThe cases of patients enrolled in the BRAT who underwent microsurgical clipping for a ruptured MCA aneurysm were reviewed. Characteristics of patients and their clinical outcomes and long-term angiographic results were analyzed.RESULTSFifty patients underwent microsurgical clipping of a ruptured MCA aneurysm in the BRAT, including 21 who crossed over from the endovascular treatment arm. Four patients with nonsaccular (e.g., dissecting, fusiform, or blister) aneurysms were excluded, leaving 46 patients for analysis. Most (n = 32; 70%) patients presented with a Hunt and Hess grade II or III subarachnoid hemorrhage, with a high prevalence of intraparenchymal blood (n = 23; 50%), intraventricular blood (n = 21; 46%), or both. At the last follow-up (up to 6 years after treatment), clinical outcomes were good (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2) in 70% (n = 19) of 27 Hunt and Hess grades I–III patients and in 36% (n = 4) of 11 Hunt and Hess grade IV or V patients. There were no instances of rebleeding after the surgical clipping of aneurysms in this series at the time of last clinical follow-up.CONCLUSIONSMicrosurgical clipping of ruptured MCA aneurysms has several advantages over endovascular treatment, including durability over time. The authors report detailed outcome data of patients with ruptured MCA aneurysms who underwent microsurgical clipping as part of a prospective, randomized trial. These results should be used for comparison with future endovascular and surgical series to ensure that the best results are being achieved for patients with ruptured MCA aneurysms.

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