Endovascular stenting of the cervical internal carotid artery

The purpose of this study was to determine the value of stenting in the treatment of occlusive vascular disease involving the cervical internal carotid artery. Clinical and angiographical results of stenting were compared those of conventional angioplasty alone up to 20 months of follow-up. The Palmaz-Schatz stent was implanted in two patients with acute intimal dissection, whereas conventional angioplasty alone was performed in seven patients with arteriosclerotic stenosis. Initial procedural success was achieved in all the patients, and acute or subacute complications were not encountered at all. One of the patients (14%) treated with conventional angioplasty alone developed late restenosis at three-month follow-up. The patients treated with stenting revealed satisfactory results clinically and angiographically. The present results may suggest that stenting is an effective and safe method to treat dissection of cervical internal carotid artery, but larger clinical trials as well as experimental studies would be necessary to define the indications and refine the stents.