Use of pCONUS HPC for the treatment of unruptured wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms: early clinical experience using single antiplatelet therapy.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, a growing number of stents and stent-like devices have become available to facilitate the treatment of challenging aneurysms. However, the need for dual antiplatelet therapy can limit their use, especially in ruptured aneurysms. The hydrophilic polymer coating (pHPC, phenox) is a novel glycan-based multilayer polymer that reduces platelet adhesion. This study aims to report our initial experience using the pCONUS HPC device for the treatment of unruptured wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms (WNBA) using acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT). METHODS: We retrospectively identified all patients who were treated with the pCONUS HPC for unruptured WNBA in a multi-staged procedure using ASA as SAPT. Records were made of periprocedural complications, clinical outcome and angiographic and clinical follow-up. RESULTS: We identified 15 patients with 15 WNBA. The average age was 69 years old (range, 41-76). Seven aneurysms were located in the middle cerebral artery, five in the anterior communicating artery, two at the basilar tip and one in the posterior communicating artery. Immediate post-treatment angiography showed five aneurysms with modified Raymond-Roy classification (mRRC) grade I and four aneurysms with mRRC grade II. There were no haemorrhagic complications. Four patients developed thrombus formation during the second treatment session, all of them completely resolving after administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists. Angiographic follow-up data were available for 10 patients and showed adequate occlusion (mRRC I or II) in eight aneurysms (80%). In-stent stenosis was observed in one patient whereas two patients showed de novo stenosis in one of the efferent branches. CONCLUSIONS: This early experience on the use of the pCONUS HPC device suggests that it can be useful for treating unruptured WNBA under ASA as SAPT. Further investigation with a randomised treatment registry and larger cohort is needed.

Management of Unruptured Saccular Aneurysms of the M1 Segment with Flow Diversion : A Single Centre Experience.

PURPOSE: The optimal strategy for the treatment of M1 segment aneurysms has not yet been determined as both standard microneurosurgical and endovascular techniques can pose challenges. We sought to determine the efficacy of flow diverting stents to treat small, unruptured aneurysms of the M1 segment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our database of prospectively collected information for all patients treated with flow diversion for an unruptured saccular aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) between February 2009 and February 2016. The relationship to early cortical branches, aneurysm fundus size, number and type of flow diverting stent (FDS), complications and follow-up data were recorded. RESULTS: In total 15 patients were identified that matched our inclusion criteria (11 female and 4 male). The average age of the patients was 58.3 years (range 14-76 years). All patients had a single aneurysm affecting the M1 segment of the MCA, 10 (66.6%) of which were related to early cortical branches and 10 aneurysms were located on the left (66.6%). The average aneurysm fundus size was 3 mm (range 2-9 mm) and 13 patients had follow-up angiographic studies. In total, 8 aneurysms were completely excluded, and 6 remained incompletely occluded (3 modified Raymond-Roy classification [mRRC] II and 3 mRRC IIIa). One patient suffered a stroke and another patient had an iatrogenic vessel dissection that was not flow limiting. CONCLUSION: Flow diversion can be used to treat small, unruptured aneurysms of the M1 segment of the MCA and even though side vessel occlusion can occur clinically relevant infarction occurs infrequently.