Angioplasty and stenting of basilar artery with short term results

ABSTRACT

Symptomatic basilar artery stenosis has a poor prognosis. Surgical bypasses are technically demanding and of no proven benefit. A new generation of intravascular stents that are flexible enough to navigate the tortuosities of the vertebral artery may provide a new therapeutic approach. Our two cases, 57 and 52 year-old men experienced a vertebrobasilar ischemia with repeat vertigo and falls. Magnetic resonance angiography from vertebrobasilar arteries revealed severe middle basilar artery stenosis in case 1 and Transcranial Doppler [TCD] shown severe vertebrobasilar artery stenosis in the other one. The patients underwent uncomplicated angioplasty and stenting of the basilar arteries, with excellent angiographie results. During follow-up [12 months in case I and 8 months in case 2], the patients were well and free of symptoms. The new flexible intravascular stents provides a novel therapeutic approach for patients with basilar artery stenosis