Use of intravenous abciximab as adjunctive therapy for carotid angioplasty and stent placement.

The benefit of intravenous abciximab as an adjunctive to percutaneous coronary intervention has been demonstrated in large-scale randomized studies. The role of intravenous abciximab is being defined in carotid angioplasty and stent placement as the procedure is gaining popularity for the treatment of high-grade carotid stenosis in patients considered high-risk for carotid endarterectomy. This paper summarizes the pathophysiological basis and the available data for the use of abciximab as an adjunct to carotid artery stenting.