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Background: Stent assisted coiling of unruptured wide necked intracranial aneurysms require antiplatelets to prevent stent thrombosis. The effect of the loading dose of antiplatelets prior to the stent coiling procedure in an unsecured wide necked ruptured intracranial aneurysm is not known., Objective: To report any potential complication associated with the use of both aspirin and clopidogrel in stent assisted coiling of ruptured wide necked intracranial aneurysms., Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent stent assisted coiling for ruptured wide necked intracranial aneurysm were enrolled from 2005 to 2009. Patients' demographics, including Hunt and Hess grade, Fisher scale, and location and size of aneurysms, were collected. Complications such as rupture of aneurysm, thromboembolic events, ventriculostomy associated or systemic hemorrhages were recorded. Additionally, a 90 day outcome measurement was obtained using the Glasgow Outcome Scale., Results: 22 patients with a mean age of 50±13 years underwent stent assisted coiling. A loading dose of clopidogrel 300 mg and aspirin 325 mg orally were given prior to stent placement. There was no intraoperative rupture of aneurysm, ventriculostomy associated hemorrhage or systemic hemorrhagic event. There were two episodes of stent thrombosis; one was an asymptomatic event which developed during the stent assisted coiling procedure and resolved spontaneously; the other was symptomatic which required intra-arterial administration of glycoprotein IIbIIIa receptor antagonist. There was no mortality and good outcome was observed in 82% of patients., Conclusion: In our series of carefully selected patients, therapeutic dual antiplatelet loading prior to stent assisted coiling of ruptured wide necked intracranial aneurysm was not associated with increased bleeding complications. However, thromboembolic events remain the main challenge. Further study is required to confirm the safety of antiplatelet loading in stent assisted ruptured intracranial aneurysm coiling.

Introduction: The long term effect of Neuroform stent in progressive occlusion of intracranial aneurysms is not yet completely understood. Here the effect of the Neuroform stent in progressive occlusion of intracranial aneurysms and clinical outcome is reported., Methods: Consecutive patients treated with the Neuroform stent from January 2003 to July 2007 were prospectively enrolled. Patients' demographics, immediate and delayed rate of occlusion, and clinical outcomes using the National Institution of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were recorded., Results: Neuroform stent placement was attempted in 72 patients, including 10 ruptured cases. However, stent placement could not be accomplished in two patients who were not included for analysis. Mean age was 50 ± 14 years and mean aneurysm diameter was 10.28 ± 5.9 mm. Immediate complete occlusion was observed in 31 (44%), neck remnants in 29 (41%) and subtotal occlusion in 10 (14%). Angiographic follow-up was available in 59 cases; complete occlusion was observed in 48/59 (81%), neck remnant in 7/59 (13%) and recanalisation in 4/49 (7%). Of 39 patients with immediate incomplete obliteration, progressive complete occlusions were achieved in 25/31 (81%), no changes in two and recanalisation in four cases. The majority of patients had good outcomes (GOS 1 or NIHSS 0 in 66/70 (94%), GOS 2 or NIHSS 2 in one patient and GOS 3 or NIHSS 4 in three at the 90 day follow-up visit., Conclusions: The Neuroform stent assisted neck remodelling technique improves progressive obliteration of intracranial aneurysms with a low recanalisation rate and good clinical outcome.

Background: The advent of stent-assisted coil embolization has revolutionized the endovascular management of complex intracranial aneurysms. Although performed routinely in most cerebrovascular centers, there are not many case series reported about the Y-stent technique for coil placement in cerebral aneurysms. The authors present the second largest series available within the neurosurgical literature., Methods: The authors have retrospectively reviewed the medical records and angiographic data of six patients who were diagnosed as having unruptured cerebral aneurysms and subsequently treated using "Y" stent-assisted coil embolization. Five out of six cerebral aneurysms in this study were located at the basilar tip while the remaining one was at the left MCA trifurcation. Aneurysms ranged in size from 8-22 mm. All patients were female with ages ranging from 37-70 years. One patient presented with recurrence of an aneurysm previously managed with a balloon-assisted coil embolization. Another patient presented after a failed trial of a balloon-assisted procedure. One patient had originally been diagnosed with multiple aneurysms of varying size and location., Results: A "Y" configuration was successfully established in all six patients. Five patients have had a symptom-free recovery period at average follow-up period of 36.7 months. The remaining patient is notable for recurrence that was discovered on angiogram 32 months postoperatively., Conclusions: The proposed Y-stent technique is a safe and effective option that can be employed in the endovascular reconstruction of unruptured intracranial aneurysms of complex location and orientation. These methods serve as an acceptable alternative in the management of aneurysms traditionally managed with microsurgery. Hemodynamic assessment has shown Y-stenting to be an advantageous therapy option, yet further studies are required to assess these parameters in alternative therapies.

Object: Embolization of intracranial aneurysms performed using Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs) is performed with the patient in a state of general anesthesia at most centers. Such an approach does not allow intraprocedural evaluation of the patient's neurological status and carries additional risks associated with general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation. At the authors' institution, GDC embolization of intracranial aneurysms is performed in awake patients after administration of sedative and analgesic agents (midazolam, fentanyl, morphine, and/or hydromorphone). To determine the feasibility and safety of this approach, the authors have retrospectively reviewed their clinical experience., Methods: The authors reviewed the medical records of all patients in whom GDC embolization for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms was undertaken between February 1, 1990 and October 31, 1999. Clinical presentation, medical comorbidities, anesthetic agents used, intraprocedural complications, and final procedural outcome were recorded for each patient. Guglielmi detachable coil embolization was attempted in the awake patient in 150 procedures. Among 92 procedures for unruptured aneurysms, 75 (82%) were completed without complications. Four procedures were completed with complications. Of the 92 procedures, 13 were aborted due to patient uncooperativeness (one patient), complications (three patients), morphological characteristics of the aneurysm or surrounding vessels that made embolization technically difficult (eight patients), or vasospasm (one patient). Among 58 procedures for ruptured aneurysms, the procedure was completed without complication in 48 cases (83%). The procedure was completed with complications in five cases and two patients required induction of general anesthesia during the procedure. Five procedures were aborted because morphological characteristics of the aneurysm or surrounding vessels made embolization technically difficult (two patients) or because of aneurysm rupture (two patients) or the appearance of a transient neurological deficit (one patient)., Conclusions: Embolization of intracranial aneurysms performed using GDCs in the awake patient appears to be safe and feasible and allows intraprocedural evaluation of the patient. Potential advantages, including decreased cardiopulmonary morbidity rates, shorter hospital stay, and lower hospital costs, still require confirmation by a direct comparison with other anesthetic procedures.

Objective: The development of low profile, navigable stents has expanded the range of intracranial neuroendovascular procedures. We report a unique case of endovascular stent placement to trap a partially extruded Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) during treatment of an internal carotid artery (ICA) cavernous segment aneurysm., Methods: A 49-year-old woman presented for endovascular coiling of a left superior hypophyseal artery aneurysm. Previously, a contralateral mirror lesion had been treated by stent-assisted coiling. Heparin was administered to maintain an activated coagulation time of greater than 250 seconds, and a guide catheter was placed in the cervical ICA. A microcatheter was advanced into the aneurysm over a microguidewire. A GDC-10, 3-dimension, 6 x 20-mm coil was placed within the aneurysm, forming a stable basket. Three additional GDCs were placed with near-complete obliteration of the aneurysm. Attempted placement of a fifth coil caused partial prolapse of a previously placed coil into the cavernous ICA. We decided to place a stent rather than to snare the extruded coil because the extruded coil was integral to the aneurysm coil mass. A 3.5x8-mm balloon-expandable stent was placed across the aneurysm orifice, trapping the extruded coil between the stent and ICA., Results: Digital subtraction angiography documented patency of the ICA lumen. The patient remains neurologically intact and awaits 3-month follow-up cerebral angiography., Conclusion: Trapping of an extruded intraaneurysmal coil via stent placement obviated the need for coil removal and avoided the risk of coil mass manipulation. The use of a stent to displace extruded coils and reconstitute a "normal" lumen is an excellent addition to our endovascular armamentarium.

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.