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Stent-Assisted Embolisation Effective for Acute Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

OAK BROOK, Ill -- August 25, 2009 -- Researchers have identified an effective new treatment option for patients who have suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Results of the study on stent-assisted coil embolisation were published in the online edition of the journal Radiology.

Embolisation treatment of cerebral artery aneurysms is becoming increasingly favoured over surgical repair, especially when the patient is older or in poor medical condition.

However, embolisation is challenging when the neck of the aneurysm is wide, because the metal coils have a tendency to protrude out of the sac into the artery. A balloon-tipped catheter threaded to the site of the aneurysm can sometimes, but not always, solve the problem.

"When the width or neck of the bulge is particularly wide, aneurysms can be difficult to treat surgically or with balloon-assisted embolisation," said lead author, Olli Tähtinen, MD, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

The researchers studied the effects of stent-assisted embolisation in 61 patients, including 41 women and 20 men, who were treated for subarachnoid haemorrhage at 3 Finnish hospitals over a 4.5-year period.

According to Dr. Tähtinen, the study represents the most extensive analysis to date of stent-assisted embolisation treatment of acute subarachnoid haemorrhage.

In the study, interventional radiologists performed coil embolisation by first placing a stent over the neck of the aneurysm to help keep the coils within the aneurysmal sac.

The procedure was a technical success in 44 (72%) of the 61 patients. Adequate blood flow was restored in 39 (64%) of the patients.

"Our study shows that stent-assisted coil embolisation is a feasible treatment option for ruptured brain aneurysms that are difficult to treat surgically or with balloon-assisted embolisation," Dr. Tähtinen said. "Stent-assisted embolisation may offer an important addition to the treatment repertoire for these critically ill patients."

SOURCE: Radiological Society of North America

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