Endovascular recanalization for symptomatic subacute and chronic intracranial large artery occlusion of the anterior circulation: initial experience and technical considerations

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 61; no. 7; pp. 833 - 842
• Main Authors: Ma, Lin, Liu, Yuan-hua, Feng, Hao, Xu, Ji-chong, Yan, Shuo, Han, Hong-jie, Huang, Hong-en, Fang, Chun, Tan, Hua-qiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Angiography; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Arterial Occlusive Diseases - surgery; Cardiovascular system; Cerebral Angiography; Cerebral Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Arteries - surgery; Cerebral blood flow; Cerebral infarction; Cerebral Revascularization - methods; Chronic Disease; Circulation; Complications; Embolism; Endovascular Procedures - methods; Female; Hemorrhage; Humans; Imaging; Implants; Infarction; Interventional Neuroradiology; Intraoperative Complications; Ischemia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Occlusion; Patients; Radiology; Restenosis; Signs and symptoms; Stenosis; Stents; Surgical implants; Thrombolysis; Transient ischemic attack; Occlusion; Anterior circulation; Intracranial artery; Angioplasty
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-019-02205-0

Purpose This study aimed to report the clinical findings and initial clinical experience of endovascular recanalization for symptomatic subacute/chronic intracranial large artery occlusion (ILAO) of the anterior circulation. Methods From October 2015 to December 2017, 13 patients with symptomatic subacute/chronic ILAO of the anterior circulation were enrolled in this study and underwent endovascular recanalization. We collected the initial procedural results, including the rate of successful recanalization and periprocedural complications, and data pertaining to angiographic and clinical follow-up. Results Recanalization was successful in 11 of 13 patients (84.6%). Intraoperative complications occurred in four cases, including symptomatic distal embolism in three cases; one of which was simultaneously complicated with artery dissection. Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in one case. Eleven patients underwent angiographic follow-up, and 12 patients underwent clinical follow-up. The results of the angiography follow-up (mean 6 ± 3.29 months) showed that in-stent restenosis occurred in one of the 11 successfully recanalized patients. However, the artery was occluded again in the patient who achieved thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade of 2a after treatment. Clinical follow-up (mean 5.8 ± 2.25 months) showed no recurrence of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke in ten successfully recanalized cases. However, the patient who developed in-stent stenosis suffered TIA. Conclusions Endovascular recanalization for symptomatic subacute/chronic ILAO of anterior circulation is feasible, relatively safe, and efficacious in highly selected cases, improving patients’ symptoms in the short-term. However, further larger scale pilot studies are needed to determine the efficacy and long-term outcome associated with this treatment.