The use of single low-profile visualized intraluminal support stent-assisted coiling in the treatment of middle cerebral artery bifurcation unruptured wide-necked aneurysm

Objective Endovascular treatment of unruptured wide-necked aneurysms located at the middle cerebral artery bifurcation remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for middle cerebral artery bifurcation unruptured wide-necked aneurysms using a low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) stent. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients with middle cerebral artery bifurcation unruptured wide-necked aneurysms treated using an LVIS device at our institution between October 2014 and December 2018. Clinical presentation, aneurysmal characteristics, technical feasibility, perioperative complications, clinical outcome, and angiographic and clinical follow-up results were evaluated. Results Fifty-seven patients with 57 wide-necked aneurysms arising from the middle cerebral artery bifurcation were identified. The technical success rate of stent deployment was 100%. Immediate postoperative angiograms showed Raymond 1 in 26 aneurysms (45.6%), Raymond 2 in 10 (17.6%), and Raymond 3 in 21 (36.8%). Perioperative complications developed in two patients (3.5%), including one procedure-related hemorrhagic event and one thromboembolic event. The follow-up angiogram was available for 47 aneurysms obtained at an average of 11.7 months (range, 5 to 49 months) after intervention; the latest follow-up angiograms revealed complete occlusion in 37 (78.7%) aneurysms, improvement in three (6.4%), stabilization in five (10.6%), and recanalization in two (4.3%). During the follow-up, one patient was found to have in-stent stenosis and two patients were found to have slow flow or occlusion of the jailed branch. All three of these patients were asymptomatic. No hemorrhagic or thromboembolic events occurred during clinical follow-up. Conclusions Our experience suggests that endovascular treatment of middle cerebral artery bifurcation unruptured wide-necked aneurysms with an LVIS stent is safe and effective, but the effect on branches needs to be further studied.