The application value of 3D ASL in evaluating the effectiveness of stent implantation for vertebrobasilar artery stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of stent implantation for vertebrobasilar artery stenosis，by using 3D arterial spin labeling (3D ASL) technique. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and 3D ASL data of 48 patients who underwent vertebral-basilar artery stenting. Post-labeling delay times (PLD) of 1.5 s and 2.5 s were chosen, and the average regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values were measured in nine brain regions of the posterior circulation: bilateral thalamus, bilateral occipital lobes, bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, midbrain, pons, and medulla. The 48 patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of acute ischemic stroke in the posterior cerebral circulation region detected by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The preoperative and postoperative rCBF results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: In the infarct group, there were significant increases in rCBF values of all nine brain regions at both PLD = 1.5 s and 2.5 s postoperatively compared to preoperatively. At PLD = 1.5 s, statistically significant differences in rCBF values between the preoperative and postoperative periods were found in the right thalamus, left cerebellum, midbrain, and pons regions (P < 0.05). At PLD = 2.5 s, statistically significant differences in rCBF values between the preoperative and postoperative periods were observed in the left occipital lobe, right cerebellum, midbrain, and pons regions (P < 0.05). When analyzing the rCBF values of the brain regions with recent infarcts in the infarct group, there was a significant increase in postoperative rCBF values compared to preoperative values (P < 0.05). After excluding the data from brain regions with recent infarcts, the CBF values in the remaining brain regions were also increased postoperatively, and some brain regions showed statistically significant differences in rCBF values between the preoperative and postoperative periods (P < 0.05). In the non-infarct group, there were no statistically significant differences in the preoperative and postoperative rCBF values in all brain regions at both PLD = 1.5 s and 2.5 s (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of 3D ASL technology shows significant value in assessing the surgical efficacy of vertebral-basilar artery stenting, especially in patients with acute posterior circulation infarction.

Risk prediction of CISS classification in endovascular treatment of basilar artery stenosis.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of ischemic stroke complications after endovascular treatment for basilar artery stenosis used preoperative high-resolution magnetic resonance vascular wall imaging (HRMR/VWI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Methods: The clinical data of 47 patients with severe symptomatic basilar artery stenosis (stenosis rate ≥70 %) treated with endovascular therapy at the Neuro-interventional Center from December 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. High-resolution magnetic resonance angiography (HRMR VWI) and DWI were used to evaluate the location of atherosclerotic plaque at basilar artery stenosis and the distribution of cerebral infarction lesions in all patients before surgery.According to the CISS classification system for ischemic stroke, patients were divided into a perforation group and a hypoperfusion group, and the general situation, plaque distribution, and incidence of ischemic stroke complications 7 days after endovascular treatment in the two groups were analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups. After 7 days of intravascular treatment, the incidence of ischemic stroke was higher in the perforation group (20.0 %) than in the hypoperfusion group (0.0 %), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.027). A significant association was found between the perforation group and the hypoperfusion group for the incidence of ischemic stroke at 7 days (P = 0.003, OR = 2.347; 95 % CI = 2.056-4.268). There were a higher proportion of ventral plaques (74.1 %) and a lower proportion of dorsal plaques (33.3 %) in the hypoperfusion group, which were 15.0 % and 90.0 % in the perforation group, respectively (χ2 = 16.045, P < 0.001; χ2 = 15.092, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the proportion of left and right plaques between the two groups. Conclusions: The risk of ischemic stroke is greater in patients with perforator artery obstruction undergoing endovascular therapy, and lower in patients with hypoperfusion/embolus removal.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and/or stenting for the treatment of basilar artery stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Basilar artery stenosis (BAS) carries high morbidity and mortality, with variable outcomes after endovascular treatments. We systematically reviewed the literature on percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and/or stenting (PTAS) for BAS. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web-of-Science, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched upon the PRISMA guidelines to include prospective/retrospective cohort studies describing PTAS for BAS. Pooled rates of intervention-related complications and outcomes were analyzed with random-effect model meta-analyses. RESULTS: We included 25 retrospective cohort studies comprising 1016 patients. All patients were symptomatic, presenting with transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. BAS frequently involved the middle basilar artery (51.4%), mostly classified as Mori-B (57.4%). PTAS for BAS was indicated in severe (≥ 50-70%), symptomatic BAS refractory to dual antiplatelet therapy. Patients underwent angioplasty (95.5%) and/or stenting (92.2%), preferably using Wingspan or Apollo stents. Median baseline BAS was 81% (range, 53-99%), while median post-intervention BAS was 13% (0-75%). Actuarial rates of successful intervention and "good" final outcome were 100% (95% CI: 100-100%) and 89% (95% CI: 85-93%). Intervention-related recurrent ischemic stroke occurred in 85 patients (8.3%) with actuarial rates of 5% (95% CI: 4-7%), differentiated into perforator (5.4%), in-stent (2.6%), and embolic (0.4%). Actuarial rates of intervention-related dissection, restenosis, and death were 0% (95% CI: 0-0%), 1% (95% CI: 0-1%), and 0% (95% CI: 0-2%). CONCLUSION: Elective PTAS appears to be safe and effective in selected patients with medically refractory, severe, symptomatic, and non-acute BAS. Different stent types and angioplasty-assisted procedures should be considered based on specific clinico-radiological characteristics of the lesions. Future randomized controlled trials are required to corroborate these findings.

High-risk features of basilar artery atherosclerotic plaque.

Introduction: High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) is used to characterize atherosclerotic plaque. The present study aimed to determine the high-risk features of the basilar artery (BA) atherosclerotic plaque. Methods: Patients with advanced BA stenosis were screened. The features including the ruptured fibrous cap (RFC), lipid core, intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), plaque enhancement, and calcification were assessed by using high-resolution MRI. The relationship between the features and acute infarction was analyzed. Results: From 1 June 2014 to 31 December 2018, a total of 143 patients with 76 new strokes were included. RFC was identified in 25% of symptomatic and 10.4% of asymptomatic patients. IPH was identified in 48.7% of symptomatic and 25.4% of asymptomatic patients. RFC (3.157, 95% CI 1.062 to 9.382, p = 0.039) and IPH (2.78, 95% CI 1.127 to 6.505, p = 0.026) were independent risk factors for acute infarction. Conclusion: Our study showed that RFC and IPH of BA plaque were independent risk factors for acute infarction.

Short-term efficacy and safety of Apollo stent on symptomatic basilar artery stenosis / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of Apollo stent in the treatment of symptomatic basilar artery stenosis.Methods:Patients with symptomatic basilar artery stenosis admitted to the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from January 2017 to May 2020 were selected and treated with Apollo stent implantation. The changes of clinical symptoms and the success rate of operation were evaluated. Postoperative complications included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, hyperperfusion, and new ischemic stroke, and follow-up results were evaluated 3 to 6 months later.Results:A total of 96 patients were included in this study, and all of them were confirmed by angiography to have severe basilar artery stenosis corresponding to the symptoms. Among them, 88 patients received stent implantation, with a success rate of 100%. Among the 88 patients, 86 received Apollo stent implantation, and 2 patients received self-Peng stent implantation. Among 86 patients with Apollo stent implantation, the lesions were located in the proximal segment in 73 cases (84.88%), in the middle segment in 10 cases (11.63%), and in the distal segment in 3 cases (3.49%). The degree of stenosis was (93.72±3.86)%, the length of stenosis was (8.50±2.65)mm, the residual stenosis rate was (1.76±4.87)%, and Mori type A lesions in 80 cases, type B lesions in 3 cases, and type C lesions in 3 cases. Among 86 patients with Apollo stent implantation, the incidence of perioperative neurological complications was 6.98%(6/86), including 1 case in the proximal part of the basilar artery (vascular rupture), 3 cases in the middle part of the basilar artery (perforating artery occlusion in 1 case, acute thrombosis artery occlusion in 2 cases), and 2 cases in the distal part (both acute vascular occlusion). Alteplase was injected into the microcatheter during the operation, and contact thrombolysis was performed. Immediately digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed that the blood vessels were opened, and 1 case with neurological deficit was left. No hyperperfusion occurred in all patients. All patients were followed up for three months after operation. Among them, 58 patients had a good prognosis in the proximal segment of the basilar artery, 18 patients had a good prognosis in the middle segment, 4 patients had a good prognosis in the distal segment, and 6 patients had a bad prognosis (1 patient died). Postoperative stent restenosis occurred in 5 cases (5.81%), recurrent stroke in 3 cases (3.49%), and disabling stroke in 1 case (1.16%).Conclusions:Apollo stent is safe and effective in the treatment of symptomatic basilar artery stenosis, with good short-term prognosis, and long-term prognosis needs to be further studied.

Isolated Focal Basilar Artery Stenosis with Acute Stroke Treated with Emergency Thrombectomy and Stenting.

Strokes due to basilar artery (BA) stenosis/occlusion are devastating. As it is an uncommon cause of stroke, its optimal management is not clearly defined. We present the case of a 68-year-old male with a background history of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and smoking who developed a sudden onset of reduced consciousness, myoclonic jerks, generalised weakness, and nausea due to an occluded mid-segment BA with right occipital and left cerebellar infarcts. Emergent cerebral angiography was performed and he was immediately treated by clot retrieval and, due to underlying arterial stenosis, the immediate placement of a stent within 3 h of symptom onset. He had complete neurological recovery within 1 week, with no neurological deficits. He remained well at follow-up 3 months later. Emergency revascularisation of stroke due to BA occlusion should be considered as a treatment option.

Risk Factors of New Cerebral Infarctions After Endovascular Treatment for Basilar Artery Stenosis Based on High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: The current study aims to analyze the risk factors of new cerebral infarctions in the distribution of basilar artery (BA) detected by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) after endovascular treatment in patients with severe BA stenosis. Methods: Data was collected from the electronic medical records of patients with severely atherosclerotic basilar artery stenosis (≥70%) who underwent endovascular treatment. The plaque characteristics, including the plaque distribution, plaque burden, plaque enhancement index, remodeling ratio, and stenosis degree, were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The characteristics of the procedure, such as the type of treatment, balloon diameter, balloon length, stent diameter, and stent length, were analyzed. Results: A total of 107 patients with severe basilar artery stenosis (≥70%) who underwent endovascular treatment were enrolled. The study participants included 77 men and 30 women, with an average age of 61.6 ± 8.1 years. The rate of postoperative new cerebral infarctions was 55.1% (59/107), of which 74.6% (44/59) were caused by artery-to-artery embolism, 6.8% (4/59) due to perforator occlusion, and 18.6% (11/59) were caused by a mixed mechanism. Twelve of 59 patients had ischemic events, with nine cases of stroke and three cases of transient ischemic attacks (TIA). The plaque burden in the DWI-positive group was significantly larger than that in the DWI-negative group (3.7% vs. -8.5%, p = 0.016). Positive remodeling was more common in the DWI-positive group than in the DWI-negative group (35.6% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.028). Smoking was inversely correlated with the rate of new cerebral infarctions (odds ratio, 0.394; 95% confidence interval, 0.167-0.926; p = 0.033). Conclusion: The plaque characteristics are not associated with new cerebral infarctions in the distribution of BA, although a large plaque burden and positive remodeling are more likely to appear in patients with new cerebral infarctions after BA stenting, which warrants further studies with a larger sample size. As for smoking, the inverse correlation with new cerebral infarctions in the BA territory needs large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials to verify.

Stroke mechanisms and outcomes of isolated symptomatic basilar artery stenosis.

BACKGROUND: While diffuse atherosclerotic disease affecting the posterior circulation has been described extensively, the prevalence, natural history and angiographic characteristics of isolated symptomatic basilar artery stenosis (ISBAS) remain unknown. METHODS: We reviewed our prospective institutional database to identify patients with ≥50% symptomatic basilar artery (BA) stenosis without significant atherosclerotic burden in the vertebral or posterior cerebral arteries. Stroke mechanism, collateral circulation, and degree and length of stenosis were analysed. The primary outcome was time from index event to new transient ischaemic attack (TIA), acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) or death. Other outcome variables included modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score on discharge and last follow-up. RESULTS: Of 6369 patients with AIS/TIA, 91 (1.43%) had ISBAS. Seventy-three (80.2%) patients presented with AIS and 18 (19.8%) with TIA. Twenty-nine (31.9%) were women and the median age was 66.8±13.6 years. The mean follow-up time was 2.7 years. The most common stroke mechanism was artery-to-artery thromboembolism (45.2%), followed by perforator occlusion (28.7%) and flow-dependent/hypoperfusion (15.1%). The percentage of stenosis was lower in patients who had favourable outcome compared with those with mRS 3-6 on discharge (78.3±14.3 vs 86.9±14.5, p=0.007). Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher recurrence/death rates in patients with ≥80% stenosis, mid-basilar location and poor collateral circulation. Approximately 13% of patients with ISBAS presented with complete BA occlusion. CONCLUSION: ISBAS is an uncommon (1.43%) cause of TIA and AIS. Men in their 60s are mostly affected, and artery-to-artery embolism is the most common stroke mechanism. Mid-basilar location, ≥80% stenosis and poor collateral circulation are important factors associated with worse prognosis.

Correlation of memory impairment and cerebral perfusion in patients with vertebral-basilar artery stenosis / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To evaluate the correlation between cerebral blood flow perfusion and memory impairment in patients with severe stenosis of vertebral basilar artery (VBA).Methods 62 cases of patients with VBA stenosis diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography(DSA) in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from September 2016 to March 2017 were enrolled.Mental State Examination (MMSE),Clinical Memory Scale (CMS) test and CT perfusion(CTP) was performed.All patients were divided into memory normal group(n=24,including 1 excellent case,6 above normal cases,and 14 normal cases) and memory impairment group(n =38,including 18 below normal cases,12 periphery cases,8 impaired cases) according to CMS.The ratios of side-to-side period were compared between bilateral mesial temporal lobe and anterior circulation area.The relative time to peak (rTTP),relative mean transit time(rMTY),relative cerebral blood flow(rCBF) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were calculate.Results The incidence of CTP decompensation in the medial temporal lobe was higher than that in the patients with memory impairment(P＜0.05).The difference of rTTP and rMTT value between the two groups in the bilateral medial temporal lobes was statistically significant (rTFP:(1.131 ±0.037),(1.437±0.139),t=10.520,P＜ 0.05);rMTT:(1.081 ±0.059),(1.281 ±0.174),t=5.423,P＜0.05).Conclusion The patients with VBA severe stenosis are more likely to get memory impairment due to cerebral hypoperfusion.

Transcranial doppler sonography is not a valid diagnostic tool for detection of basilar artery stenosis or in-stent restenosis: a retrospective diagnostic study.

BACKGROUND: There are contradictory reports concerning the validity of transcranial sonography (TCD and TCCS) for examinations of the basilar artery. Here we investigated sensitivity and specificity of transcranial sonography for the detection of basilar artery stenosis and in-stent-restenosis compared to cerebral angiography. METHODS: We analyzed data of 104 examinations of the basilar artery. The association between sonographic peak systolic velocity (PSV) and degree of stenosis obtained by cerebral angiography was evaluated applying Spearman's correlation coefficient. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated for the detection of a ≥50% stenosis defined by angiography. Optimal cut-off was derived using the Youden-index. RESULTS: A weak but statistically significant correlation between PSV and the degree of stenosis was found (n=104, rho=0.35, p<0.001). ROC analysis for a detection of ≥50% stenosis showed an AUC of 0.70, a sensitivity of 74.0% and a specificity of 65.0% at the optimal cut off of 124 cm/s. Results were consistent when analyzing examinations done in stented and unstented arteries separately (TCD VS DSA/CTA in unstented artery: AUC=0.66, sensitivity 61.0%, specificity 65.0%, TCD/TCCS VS DSA in stented artery: AUC=0.63, sensitivity 71.0%, specificity 82.0%). Comparing TCCS measurements exclusively to angiography, ROC analysis showed an AUC of 1.00 for the detection of an in-stent-restenosis ≥50% with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% when a PSV of 132 cm/s was used as a cut off value. CONCLUSION: Validity of TCD in the assessment of basilar artery stenosis or in-stent restenosis is poor. First results for TCCS are promising, but due to the small samplesize further studies with larger samples sizes are warranted.

Clinical study of endovascular interventional therapy for the symptomatic high-grade basilar artery stenosis / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To explore the efficacy,safety and short-term effects of endovascular therapy in the treatment of the symptomatic high-grade basilar artery stenosis.Methods Two hundred thirteen patients with the symptomatic high-grade basilar artery stenosis (＞90％) confirmed by MRA,CTA or DSA was treated by endovascular intervention,the changes of clinical symptoms,the success rate and short-term follow-up results was analyzed.Results Endovascular stent was successfully placed in 209 patients with symptomatic high-grade basilar artery stenosis and the success rate was 98.12％.The degree of vascular stenosis was significantly reduced after stenosis (Before vs After:93.70％±2.51％ vs 11.60％±3.90％).Eight patients had complications (3.76％) including 7 cases of ischemic stroke and 1 case of subarachnoid hemorrhage.The average follow-up duration was 18.70±3.80 months.Two hundred two patients underwent a second DSA and the mean vascular stenosis was (13.80％±4.20％).Five patients developed in-stent restenosis (ISR),of which one was symptomatic.Conclusion Endovascular therapy of the symptomatic high-grade basilar artery stenosis is safety and efficacy.The 1.5 years follow-up results reveal good patency rate and excellent prevention of posterior circulation ischemia.

Vertebral artery Doppler waveform patterns for exclusive diagnosis of basilar artery stenosis and occlusion.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of vertebral artery (VA) pulsed Doppler waveform changes in excluding basilar artery (BA) stenosis/occlusion. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty-two patients with time-averaged peak flow velocity (MV) of bilateral VAs <18 cm/s, measured by carotid ultrasonography, were included. The pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI) of both VAs were measured. The maximum PI (Max PI) and maximum RI (Max RI) were used for analysis, respectively. BA stenosis/occlusion and fetal-type posterior cerebral artery (f-PCA) were evaluated using MR angiography. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients had BA stenosis/occlusion. Acute infratentorial cerebral infarction (CI), f-PCA, Max PI, and Max RI were significantly higher in patients with BA stenosis/occlusion. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that "Max PI ≥2.00 or Max RI ≥0.82" had an odds ratio of 3.75 (95% CI 1.43-9.84) for diagnosing BA stenosis/occlusion, but the positive predictive value (PPV) was low (42.2%) and negative predictive value (NPV) was high (84.5%). Similarly, "Max PI ≥2.00 and Max RI ≥0.82" had an odds ratio of 2.96 (95% CI 1.18-7.39); PPV was low (44.9%) and NPV was high (80.8%). CONCLUSION: Among the subjects with bilateral VA-MV <18 cm/s, PI and RI could contribute to excluding BA stenosis/occlusion.

Vascular pathophysiologic characteristics of different types of basilar atherosclerotic infarction / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To use high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) for studying the vascular remodeling and plaque characteristics of two types of basilar atherosclerotic infarction; branch occlusive disease (BOD) and nonBOD. Methods Thirty-two patients with symptomatic basilar artery stenosis were divided into BOD and non-BOD groups, with 18 patients in BOD group and 14 in non-BOD group. All the patients received 3. 0T HR-MRI enhancement scanning for the basilar artery wall. The wall thickness and plaque area of steno-occlusive basilar artery at the maximal stenosis were measured and analyzed, so as to assess the vascular remodeling and plaque characteristics. Results HR-MRI scanning showed that the stenosis of non-BOD group was more obvious than that of BOD group ([68. 9 ± 19. 1]% vs [43. 8 ± 18. 8]%, P = 0. 017). Compared with BOD group, positive remodeling wasmore frequently observed in non-BOD (57. 2% vs 16. 7%, P = 0. 036). The wall area index of BOD group was also significantly lower than that of non-BOD group (P<0. 001). Eccentric enhancement was the main form for the two types of basilar atherosclerotic infarction in study, and the plaque enhancements were not significantly different between BOD and non-BOD groups (P = 0. 196); however, the enhancement degree of BOD group was significantly milder than that of the non-BOD group ([39. 9 ± 23. 2]% vs [65. 3 ± 21. 1]%, P=0. 004). Conclusion BOD and non BOD have different vascular remodelings and plaque characteristics.

The role of microembolic signal monitoring in brainstem infarction and vertebrobasilar artery stenosis / 天津医药

Objective To investigate the relation between microembolic signals (MES) and vertebral basilar artery ste?nosis in patients with brainstem infarction. Methods A total of 156 patients with acute brainstem infarction, who were de?termined the cerebral infarction lesion and vertebral basilar artery stenosis by cranial magnetic resonance imaging and CT an?giography, and were monitored by transcranial Doppler via occipital window of basilar arterial MES monitoring in 7 days of the onset, were divided into microembolus signal negative group (n=136) and positive group (n=20). The clinical data were compared between two groups. The differences of different degrees of stenosis were analyzed in two groups. The differences of different locations of stenosis in patients with vertebral basilar artery stenosis were analyzed in two groups. Logistic regres?sion analysis was used to analyse the factors affecting MES. Results There were no significant differences in age, gender, history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus between the two groups (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the dif?ferent degrees of stenosis between two groups, no or mild stenosis was found in MES-negative group and severe stenosis in MES-positive group (P<0.05). There were 70 cases with no vertebral basilar artery stenosis, 86 cases with mild, moderate and severe stenosis, in which 14 cases were MES-positive and 72 cases were negative. There were significant differences in different locations of stenosis between the two groups. The proportion of multiple infarctions was significantly higher in MES-positive group than that of MES-negative group (P<0.05). The intracranial vertebral basilar artery stenosis and 75%of ver?tebral basilar artery stenosis were the independent risk factors of MES-positive. Conclusion Severe stenosis of the verte?bral basilar artery is more vulnerable to occur MES of posterior circulation, leading to cerebral infarction. Microemboli may be the cause of multiple infarctions in patients with vertebral basilar artery stenosis.

Clinical study of Wingspan stents for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of the basilar artery / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To assess the efficacy and feasibility of Wingspan stents for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of the bas-ilar artery.Methods Clinical data of 40 patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stenoses in the basilar artery were analyzed retro-spectively.The operative successful rate,the degree of stenosis,perioperative complications and the results of clinical and imaging follow-up were analyzed.Results The technical success rate was 95.35%.The rate of procedure-related complications during the perioperative period (30 days)was 20.0% (eight of 40 patients).There were two patients with no permanent neurological sequelae. Ipsilateral stroke or death occurred in six patients(1 5%).Thirty-six patients(92.3%)were available for a clinical follow up.The mean follow-up period was 36.3 months (range 12-75 months).Seventeen patients (47.2%)were available for follow-up imaging with DSA or CTA.The mean imaging follow-up period was 9.4 months (range 4-41 months).Symptomatic in-stent restenosis (ISR)was documented in two (1 1.76%)of these patients.Three ischemic events occurred during the follow-up period in 12 months.The adverse event rate was 8.33% at 1 year.Conclusion Wingspan stents for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of the basilar artery was an effective and feasible technique,but we should carefully grasp the operation indications.

Application value of transcranial Doppler diagnosis for intracranial posterior circulation artery stenosis or occlusion / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective To investigate the sensitivity and specificity of transcranial Doppler (TCD) diagnosis for intracranial posterior circulation artery stenosis or occlusion.Methods Seventy-two cases of patients treated for posterior circulation intracranial artery stenosis or occlusion were chosen,TCD and CT angiography (CTA) tests were carried out and the results were compared and analyzed.Results Compared with CTA,the sensitivity for period of posterior circulation intracranial arteries by TCD was 82.50％,while specificity reached 94.64％.Positive predictive value attained 91.67％,while negative predictive value reached 88.33％ and the accuracy was 89.58％.Conclusions TCD diagnosis for period of posterior circulation intracranial arterial has high specificity,normal sensitivity,and the highest diagnosis accuracy for intracranial segment of vertebral artery.TCD can serve as early inspecting method for intracranial artery.

Patterns of collateral formation in basilar artery steno-occlusive diseases.

BACKGROUND: Augmentation of collateral flow is proposed as a method to reduce ischemic injury in the posterior circulation. However, collateral formation in basilar artery stenosis (BAS) and basilar artery occlusion (BAO) has not been studied thoroughly. METHODS: We identified 24 consecutive patients admitted over a 4-year period with angiographically demonstrated BAS of more than 50% or occlusion. Angiographic images were reviewed for pattern of collaterals by a blinded reviewer. A new grading system by Qureshi [1] (Qureshi AI (2012) J Neuroimaging in press) was utilized for grading. Grades I and II had retrograde filling of the basilar artery through PCA with or without filling of the superior cerebellar artery, respectively. Grades III and IV were bilateral or unilateral anastomoses of cerebellar arteries or PCAs, respectively. Risk factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicities, co-morbidities, NIHSS sore on admission and discharge, tPA administration, in-hospital complications, and discharge status measured by the modified Rankin score were ascertained. RESULTS: THE COLLATERALS WERE CATEGORIZED AS: Grade I A (n = 8), Grade IIIA (n = 5), and none (n = 11). No patient had Grade II collaterals. Grade IA collaterals were more frequent in patients with BAO than those with BAS. The rate of good outcomes (mRS 0-2) at discharge was significantly higher among patients with IA collaterals compared with patients with grade IIIA collaterals (62% vs. 20%). The rate of good outcomes was 54% of patients without collaterals. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of collateral formation in BAS and BAO varies and is associated with patient outcomes.

A Case of ReVersible Basilar Artery Stenosis in Neuro-Behcet's Disease

The reversibility of basilar artery stenosis in neuro-Behcet's disease (NB) has been rarely reported. We report a patient with NB who developed brainstem infarction related to severe stenosis in basilar artery. Initial MRA showed severe stenosis in the basilar artery, which was improved on follow-up MRA after immunosuppressive treatment. This case shows that arterial stenosis in NB can be reversed with proper management.

Treatment of High-Grade Basilar Artery Stenosis by Primary Stenting

Patients with symptomatic stenosis of the basilar artery have a poor prognosis and the treatment options are limited. Surgical bypasses are technically difficult and there is no proven benefit. Percutaneous angioplasty shows significant complications because of dissection, restenosis secondary to elastic recoil and embolic phenomena. The medical treatment with aspirin and wafarin showed the annual risk of 20% for symptomatic basilar artery stenosis as repoted in WASID(Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease)study. We report a patient with symptomatic high grade stenosis of the basilar artery refractory to appropriate maximal medical therapy, in whom endovascular stenting was performed successfully without preliminary balloon angioplasty. Excellent angiographic result was achieved and there were no procedural and periprocedural complications. The patient was asymptomatic except preprocedural mild dysarthria and had no neurological symptoms during clinical follow-up of 2 months at outpatient department. Primary stenting of basilar artery stenosis may be an alternative to balloon angioplasty for patient with symptomatic lesions refractory to medical therapy or in whom anticoagulation is contraindicated.

Endovascular stent-assisted angioplasty for basilar artery stenosis / 中国微创外科杂志

ObjectiveTo probe the short-term efficacy of endovascu lar stent-as sisted angioplasty for basilar artery stenosis.MethodsTwenty p atients with s ymptomatic basilar artery stenosis were treated by angioplasty using a balloon-e xpandable coronary stent.ResultsThe basilar artery caliber r eturned to norma l size in 12 cases and restored by more than 80% in the remaining 8 cases. No tr ansient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, or other peri-operative complications rec urred. Follow-up angiography in 13 patients revealed no re-stenosis.Co nclusionsShort-term efficacy of endovascular stenting for basilar arte ry stenosis is promising.