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Updated: Dec 11, 2025
Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Endovascular Recanalization for Nonacute Intracranial Vertebral Artery Occlusion According to a New Classification
Feng Gao1, Xuan Sun1, Huijun Zhang2
1Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China (F.G., X.S., N.M., D.M., Z.M.).
Background And Purpose:
Endovascular recanalization for patients with nonacute intracranial vertebral artery occlusion remains clinically challenging. We aim to evaluate the feasibility and safety of endovascular recanalization for nonacute intracranial vertebral artery occlusion and propose a new angiographic classification.
Methods:
Fifty patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic nonacute intracranial vertebral artery occlusion from January 2015 to December 2019 were analyzed, retrospectively. The rate of recanalization, peri-procedural complications, and follow-up results were evaluated. All patients were divided into 4 groups according to an angiographic classification.
Results:
Among the 50 patients, 38 (76%) achieved successful recanalization. Any stroke or death within 30 days was 4% (2/50). From type I to type IV, the recanalization rate gradually decreased (94.1%, 76.9%, 70%, and 50%, respectively, P=0.012), while the perioperative complication rate gradually increased (0.0%, 7.7%, 20%, and 50%, respectively, P=0.001).
Conclusions:
Endovascular recanalization may be feasible and safe for carefully selected patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic nonacute intracranial vertebral artery occlusion and, therefore, represents an alternative treatment, especially for type I and type II patients.
