Introduction: In conjunction with intravenous and/or intra-arterial thrombolysis, adjuvant revascularization of intracranial artery occlusion by angioplasty vs. stenting remains controversial. We evaluated outcome in patients with intracranial occlusion after angioplasty and/or stenting.
Materials and methods: Thirty-three patients who underwent angioplasty or stenting (17 stenting and 16 angioplasty) for intracranial arterial occlusion during the past 5 years were enrolled from prospective neurointerventional database. We compared recanalization rate [defined as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade II/III flow], adverse events, and clinical outcome [modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 1 and 6 months]. We also tried to determine independent variables associated with clinical outcome.
Results: Median initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 13 and median time to treatment was 12 h from symptom onset. The successful recanalization rate was mean 79%. Symptomatic hemorrhage occurred in 15% (5/33). Events (27%, 9/33) at 1 month included four deaths, four major, and one minor stroke. Good outcome (mRS <or= 2) was achieved in 17 patients (52%) at 6 months and was significantly related to age, initial NIHSS, TIMI flow, and stenting on bivariate analysis. On multivariable analysis, stenting was the only variable significantly associated with a 6-month, good clinical outcome (OR, 14.48; 95% CI, 1.76 to 118.93; p = 0.013)
Conclusion: Intracranial revascularization with angioplasty and/or stenting may improve the clinical outcome in selected patients with intracranial occlusion. Multiple factors are related to favorable clinical outcome.