[Endovascular treatment of arteries with cerebral destination: failures and limits]

Evaluate endovascular treatment of vessels irrigating the brain. Assess risks and indications of balloon angioplasty and stents.

Retrospective study in 38 patients (6 females, 32 males) who underwent revascularization from December 1990 to July 1995: 47 balloon angioplasties and 17 stents (36%). Three patients were asymtomatic, 17 had a past history of transient ischaemia, 5 had amauraosis, 9 signs of vertebrobasilar insufficiency and 2 had an ischaemia of the upper limbs. Endoluminal treatment was performed in 4 brachiocephalic trunks with implantation of 1 stent, in 7 common carotid arteries with 4 stents, in 24 internal carotid arteries with 9 stents, 2 osteal stenosis of the vertebral artery and one external carotid.

There were no complications in patients treated for lesions of the brachiocephalic trunk, the subclavian artery and the vertebral arteries. Among the 7 patients with a stenosis of the common carotid artery, there was one death after reperfusion due to cerebral oedema. For the carotid internal, two groups of patients could be distinguished. In one group of 13 patients with restenosis of the internal carotid artery who were treated by balloon angioplasty, there were 3 transient episodes of ischaemia, one reversible hemiplegia and one silent infarction. A second group of 8 patients had atheromatous stenosis. One was treated by balloon angioplasty with one transient episode of ischaemia and the 7 others were treated with a stent without complications. The rate of neurological complications was 15.7% (6 deficits in 38 patients). The permeability after revascularization was verified at mid-term with repeated echo-Doppler examinations and by angiography one year after operation. Restenosis occurred early after one subclavian stent covered with a patch. Among the 16 Palmaz stents, one implanted in a post-irradiation common carotid occluded after 2 months. The other 15 stents were patent at a mean follow-up of 18 months (2-56), i.e. 93%. There were 2 restenoses after balloon angioplasty in the group of carotid restenosis, i.e. 15%.

Risk in balloon angioplasty of arteries irrigating the brain is a serious problem. Stenosis of the subclavian artery and the vertebral arteries appears to be a good indication. Lesions of the carotid bifurcation should not be treated with balloon angioplasty due to the risk of neurological complications. Among the restenosis after endarterectomy, only those lesions situated in the distal internal carotid are good indications. Stents have greatly improved treatment possibilities. They should be implanted whenever there is a risk of supra-aortic lesions and in certain lesions of the carotid bifurcation in high-risk, patients. Their application in all situations cannot be proposed yet before long-term outcome is established.