LVIS Blue as a low porosity stent and coil adjuvant.

INTRODUCTION: The LVIS Blue is an FDA-approved stent with 28% metallic coverage that is indicated for use in conjunction with coil embolization for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Given a porosity similar to approved flow diverters and higher than currently available intracranial stents, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of this device for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: We performed an observational single-center study to evaluate initial occlusion and occlusion at 6-month follow-up for patients treated with the LVIS Blue in conjunction with coil embolization at our institution using the modified Raymond-Roy classification (mRRC), where mRRC 1 indicates complete embolization, mRRC 2 persistent opacification of the aneurysm neck, mRRC 3a filling of the aneurysm dome within coil interstices, and mRRC 3b filling of the aneurysm dome. RESULTS: Sixteen aneurysms were treated with the LVIS Blue device in conjunction with coil embolization with 6-month angiographic follow-up. Aneurysms were treated throughout the intracranial circulation: five proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) (ophthalmic or communicating segments), two superior cerebellar artery, two ICA terminus, two anterior communicating artery, two distal middle cerebral artery, one posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and two basilar tip aneurysms. Post-procedurally, there was one mRRC 1 closure, five mRRC 2 closures, and 10 mRRC 3a or 3b occlusion. At follow-up, all the mRRC 1 and mRRC 3a closures, 85% of the mRRC 3b closures and 75% of the mRRC 2 closures were stable or improved to an mRRC 1 or 2 at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The LVIS Blue represents a safe option as a coil adjunct for endovascular embolization within both the proximal and distal anterior and posterior circulation.

ONYX versus n-BCA for embolization of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Trufill n-BCA) versus ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (ONYX) for the embolization of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF). METHODS: Fifty-three consecutive patients with cranial dural AVF were treated with liquid embolic agents from November, 2003 to November, 2008. These 53 patients had 56 lesions treated with arterial embolization. Patients embolized to completion underwent follow-up angiography at 3 months to assess for durable occlusion. RESULTS: Twenty-one lesions were treated with n-BCA. Seven patients treated with n-BCA had initial angiographic occlusion of their DAVF, which were durable at 3 months. Six patients had adjunctive treatment with coils and/or polyvinyl alcohol particles, but none of these were occluded by endovascular treatment alone. Eleven patients underwent post-embolization surgery for closure of their DAVF. There was one death related to intractable status epilepticus at presentation. One patient developed a major stroke from venous sinus thrombosis after embolization. Thirty-five lesions were treated with ONYX in 34 patients. Twenty-nine patients treated with ONYX had initial angiographic occlusion of their DAVF by embolization alone. One patient had recurrence at 3 months and was re-treated out of 27 total follow-ups. Four patients underwent post-embolization surgical obliteration of their lesions. No deaths or major strokes occurred in this cohort. CONCLUSION: Initial angiographic occlusion (p=0.0004) and durable angiographic occlusion (p=0.0018) rates for embolization of cranial DAVF show a statistically significant higher efficacy with ONYX compared with n-BCA. Patients embolized with ONYX underwent surgery less frequently compared with those treated with n-BCA (p=0.0015).