The pCONus Device for Treatment of Complex Wide-Neck Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysms with a wide neck are often not feasible for endovascular coiling. Emerging devices for neck protection, such as the pCONus stent, are promising for endovascular treatment of challenging intracranial aneurysms. We report the preliminary results with pCONus in the treatment of wide-neck AcomA aneurysms. METHODS: All consecutive patients harboring AcomA aneurysms treated with pCONus in 3 European centers were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients (mean age, 61 years) harboring 36 saccular AcomA aneurysms (mean dome size, 7.3 mm; mean neck size, 5.4 mm) were included, of which 7 were treated in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage. A procedural angiographic complication was reported in 3 patients without clinical impact at 3 months. Five patients presented a postoperative neurological deficit without angiographic complication. Procedure-related permanent morbidity and mortality rates were 11% (3/33) and 0 at 3 months, respectively. Postoperative angiographic results showed a complete aneurysm occlusion in 56% (20/36), a neck remnant in 25% (9/36), and an aneurysm remnant in 19% (7/36) of cases. Four patients were retreated after early angiographic follow-up (mean, 3.2 months). Twenty-two patients were followed (mean, 12.9 months), and a complete aneurysm occlusion was observed in 59% of patients (13/22), and a neck remnant in 41% (9/22). There was no in-stent stenosis or jailed branch occlusion. Recanalization rate was 9%. CONCLUSIONS: The pCONus device allows endovascular coiling of wide-necked AcomA aneurysms.

One-year Angiographic Results After pCONus Stent-Assisted Coiling of 40 Wide-Neck Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Bifurcation middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms with wide neck are amenable to endovascular coiling with pCONus stent, a recent device dedicated to wide-neck bifurcation intracranial aneurysms. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the 1-year angiographic follow-up of wide-neck MCA aneurysms treated with pCONus. METHODS: Forty MCA aneurysms (mean dome size, 7.7 mm; mean neck size, 5.6 mm) coiled with pCONus were retrospectively evaluated. "Recanalization" was defined as worsening, and "progressive thrombosis" was defined as improvement on the Raymond scale. RESULTS: Angiographic midterm (mean, 11.9 months; range, 3-20) follow-up was obtained in all aneurysms. Retreatment was performed in 9 aneurysms (22.5%) without clinical complications, and postoperative angiographic outcome included 2 complete occlusions and 7 neck remnants. Six aneurysms were followed after retreatment (mean, 8.8 months), and presented complete occlusion in 1 case, neck remnant in 4 cases, and aneurysm remnant in 1 case. Among the 31 aneurysms, follow-up showed complete occlusion in 67.7% (21/31), neck remnants in 29% (9/31), and aneurysm remnants in 3.3% (1/31). Adequate aneurysm occlusion (total occlusion and neck remnant) was obtained in 96.7% (30/31). Among these 31 aneurysms, improvement of the rate of occlusion was observed in 15 aneurysms (48.4%), and recurrence in 2 aneurysms (6.5%). There was no 1-year angiographic recurrence of 3- or 6-month totally occluded aneurysms. CONCLUSION: pCONus stent allows a safe coiling of wide-neck MCA aneurysms usually considered as surgical with a low recanalization rate for those adequately occluded at 3 to 6 months. Angiographic results improve over time due to progressive aneurysm thrombosis in around 50% of cases.