Overlapping Stents for Dissecting Intracranial Aneurysms: A Systematic Review With Single-Arm Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Interventional Neuroradiology
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Dissecting intracranial aneurysms (DIAs) pose significant treatment challenges.
• Endovascular techniques are evolving for managing complex vascular lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of overlapping stent-assisted reconstruction for DIAs.
• To assess clinical outcomes using a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to March 2025.
• Inclusion of retrospective/prospective studies with ≥5 patients treated with overlapping stents for DIAs.
• Pooled prevalence and confidence intervals calculated using a random-effects model.

Main Results:

• Technical success rate of 95.5% and complete occlusion in 83.9% of cases.
• Favorable clinical outcomes (mRS 0-2) in 91.5% of patients.
• Low complication rates: ischemic 11.3%, hemorrhagic 2.3%, in-stent stenosis 7.1%.

Conclusions:

• Overlapping stent-assisted reconstruction is a safe and effective treatment for DIAs.
• Achieves high aneurysm occlusion and favorable neurological outcomes.
• Offers a viable alternative to conventional techniques for complex lesions.