Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage as a trigger for Takotsubo syndrome: a comprehensive review.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) can result in acute heart failure and lead to a potentially life-threatening complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The incidence of TTS in aSAH is less than 10% of all patients with aSAH, with a preponderance of postmenopausal women. Early indicators of TTS include elevated serum troponin levels and electrocardiographic abnormalities. The key finding is left ventricular wall motion abnormality. Echocardiography and coronary angiography help to establish the diagnosis. Vasopressors, milrinone, levosimendan, insulin, and anticoagulation may be required. The value of beta-blockers is a matter of controversy. TTS must not delay the treatment of a ruptured aneurysm. The clinical outcome in patients with aSAH and TTS is mostly determined by the aSAH and not the TTS.

Prevention and treatment of neurovascular in-stent stenoses: review of the concepts.

Advances in medical devices technology now allow the endovascular treatment of stenotic lesions of the intracranial arteries with the help of the implantation of microstents. The technical development in stent, catheter and guidewire technology now allows the application of these devices in the intracranial arteries, where access issues due to difficult anatomy and length of the access pathway pose far more hurdles to accurately, efficiently and safely navigate these devices as compared with the treatment of lesions of the peripheral arteries or the coronary system. Although the efficacy and safety of these procedures show a continuous improvement with decreased periprocedural complication rates, the development of a significant intraluminal stenotic lesion as a result of neointimal hyperplasia induced within the implants remains a serious delayed complication. In this review, the authors give an overview of the factors affecting the development of neointimal hyperplasia and review the currently available possibilities of the prevention as well as the treatment of the already existing intraimplant stenotic lesions.

Prevention of intracranial in-stent restenoses: predilatation with a drug eluting balloon, followed by the deployment of a self-expanding stent.

PURPOSE: Stenting in intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is increasingly debated, due to issues of procedural safety, technical efficacy, and in-stent recurrent stenoses (ISR). In the present study, feasibility, safety, and efficacy of angioplasty using a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) followed by the implantation of a self-expanding stent (Enterprise) were evaluated for the treatment of ICAD lesions. METHODS: Fifty-two patients (median age: 71 years; range: 54-86 years; male/female ratio 37:15) underwent stenting of high-grade ICAD lesions between February 2010 and November 2011 in a single center. Angioplasty using a paclitaxel coated SeQuent Please (B. Braun, Germany) or DIOR (Eurocor, Germany) coronary PTCA balloon, followed by the implantation of a self-expanding stent (Enterprise, Codman, USA) was performed in 54 lesions. Angiographic and clinical follow-up was performed at 6 and 12 weeks, 6 and 12 months, and yearly thereafter. Technical success rate, periprocedural complications, occurrence of recurrent ischemic symptoms, and the development of an ISR were analyzed. RESULTS: Angioplasty using a DEB followed by stent implantation was successfully performed in 44 (81 %) cases. DEB insertion failed in 19 % of the cases and angioplasty was finally performed using a conventional PTCA balloon. The combined procedure related permanent neurologic morbidity and mortality rate (stroke, ICH, and subarachnoid hemorrhage) at 30 days and beyond was 5 %. Angiographic and clinical follow-up were obtained in 33 (61 %) lesions in 32 patients. Recurrent stenosis was seen in one (3 %) lesion. CONCLUSION: Angioplasty and stenting using a DEB is safe and yields encouragingly low ISR rates. Further technical developments to improve lesion accessibility are, nevertheless, mandatory.

The modified Bose method for the endovascular treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenoses using the Enterprise stent.

BACKGROUND: Balloon dilatation and deployment of a self-expanding stent is a safe treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses. The significant recurrence rate might be related to the high radial force of the Wingspan stent. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the procedural safety and stenosis recurrence rate by the use of a stent with reduced radial force (Enterprise). METHODS: Two hundred nine atherosclerotic stenoses (189 patients) were treated (median age, 68 years; 132 male) in a single center. Lesion locations included internal carotid artery (n = 27), middle cerebral artery (n = 62), vertebral artery (n = 64), basilar artery (n = 55), and posterior cerebral artery (n = 1). Pre- and postmedication included acetylsalicylic acid and Clopidogrel for at least 12 months. Preprocedural and follow-up examinations included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurological assessment, and digital subtraction angiography (6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks). Data registry included age, sex, normal vessel diameter, degree of stenosis, residual stenosis after stent, minimal in-stent diameter, and occurrence of ischemic symptoms during follow-up. RESULTS: Median pre- and postprocedural stenosis rate was 65.4 ± 1% vs 25.1 ± 1%. Technical success rate was 100%. Major procedural complications occurred in 16 patients (8.1%). Combined neurological morbidity and mortality rate at 30 days was 2 patients (0.9%). In 174 stenoses (83%) angiographic follow-up was obtained (mean, 10.2 months). A restenosis (>50%) was observed in 43 (24.7%) cases after 4.2 months (mean) with 4 (9.3%) symptomatic lesions. Incidence of recurrent ischemia related to the stented artery was 2.2% during 10.2 months of mean follow-up. CONCLUSION: Undersized balloon angioplasty and deployment of an Enterprise stent is safe and effective for intracranial stenoses. Follow-up results were equal to or better than those reported for bare-metal balloon-expandable or self-expanding stents and yielded excellent protection from recurrent ischemia.

Treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenoses with a balloon-expandable cobalt chromium stent (Coroflex Blue): procedural safety, efficacy, and midterm patency.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the coronary balloon-expandable cobalt chromium stent Coroflex Blue for the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenoses (IAAS). METHODS: Between March 2007 and October 2007, a total of 25 patients (20 male, age median 67 years) with 30 IAAS underwent endovascular treatment using Coroflex Blue stents (B. Braun, Germany). Location and degree of target stenoses before and after treatment and at follow-up and adverse clinical sequelae of treatment were registered. Angiographic follow-up was scheduled for 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: The 30 treated lesions were located as follows: nine in intracranial-extradural internal carotid artery (ICA), three in intradural ICA, five in middle cerebral artery, eight in intradural vertebral artery, and five in basilar artery. The technical success rate was 100%. The degree of stenoses prior to and after treatment was 61 +/- 2% and 26 +/- 3% (mean +/- SE), respectively. A residual stenosis of <50% was achieved in 29 (97%) procedures. Treatment was uneventful in 28 out of 30 procedures (93%); one patient suffered a transient and one patient a permanent neurological deficit. Angiographic follow-up was available in all of the patients (100%) after 15.2 months (median) and showed significant (i.e., more than 50%) degree of recurrent stenosis in 11 (37%) of the lesions. Retreatment was performed in 11 (37%) lesions. CONCLUSION: The Coroflex Blue stent is easily inserted and safely deployed into intracranial arteries. The incidence of recurrent stenoses remains a concern. Stringent angiographic and clinical follow-up and retreatment are therefore mandatory.