Intracranial stenting for symptomatic intracranial stenosis

Intracranial stenting presents an option for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis refractory to medical treatment. Intracranial stenosis accounts for up to 10 % of ischemic strokes and represents a very morbid disease, with an expected 1-year stroke or death rate in excess of 12 % and as high as 23 %, despite medical treatment with appropriate antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication. Surgical treatment with extracranial-to-intracranial bypass, although technically successful in restoring blood flow to a diseased vessel, has not been shown to effectively reduce ischemic events. Endovascular treatment with intraluminal revascularization has been shown to be an effective alternate technique for such lesions.