Objective: To evaluate the safety and long-term prognosis of endovascular revascularization for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis with Wingspan stent in small vessels.
Methods: A total of 39 patients received treatments with wingspan stents. All had neurological symptoms attributable to intracranial stenoses (≥ 50%). The investigators evaluated the effect of clinical manifestations and imaging features on the safety and long-term results.
Results: Among all patients, 38 were successfully stented during a treatment session. Only one had postprocedural hyperperfusion injury. And 24 patients underwent digital subtraction angiography or magnetic resonance angiography follow-up. Among them, 8 patients were of in-stent restenosis (ISR). And 3 had clinical symptoms. The average length of vascular lesions was 15.3mm. And the patients whose length of vascular lesions was above 15.3mm had much higher rates of ISR (67% vs 13%). The average ratio of reference vessel diameter to stent diameter was 0.78. And the patients whose ratio was less than 0.78 had much higher rates of ISR (60% vs 14%).
Conclusion: Intracranial angioplasty with wingspan stents may be performed to treat small intracranial vessels with a relatively high degree of safety. The rate of ISR is relatively high and a majority of patients stay asymptomatic.