# Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty and Stenting for Symptomatic Intracranial Stenosis After SAMMPRIS: Patient Selection and Clinical Outcomes

## TL;DR

This study examines the effectiveness and safety of PTAS for intracranial artery stenosis after the SAMMPRIS trial found it ineffective, showing it can still be a viable treatment option in certain cases.

## Contribution

The study provides updated clinical outcomes of PTAS for ICAS in high-risk patients, offering insights into its effectiveness and safety post-SAMMPRIS.

## Key findings

- PTAS was successful in all 63 cases, with 94% successful reperfusion in ELVO patients.
- Complications occurred in 16% of ELVO patients, including new neurological deficits and in-hospital mortality.
- No in-hospital mortality was observed in non-ELVO cases, with only 6% developing new neurological deficits.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: After the negative results of the SAMMPRIS trial, the indication for endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) was widely restricted. It was the aim of our study to report whether intracranial arterial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) as ultima ratio therapy is still effective and safe enough. Methods: Between February 2011 and June 2019, 63 consecutive patients with and without emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) who received PTAS for symptomatic ICAS in the anterior or vertebrobasilar circulation were included in our study. Results: A total of 32 patients had ELVO. In the remaining 31 patients, a known ICAS was treated with PTAS either because of recurrent stroke despite aggressive medical therapy with dual antiplatelet inhibition (n = 24) or due to progressive hemodynamic ischemia (n = 7). Stenting was successful in all 63 cases. Successful reperfusion was achieved in 94% of ELVO patients. Complications with new neurologic deficits, including dissection, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage (PH2), and stent thrombosis, were seen in five ELVO patients (16%). At discharge, neurological status improved in 16 patients (50%) and deteriorated in 7 patients (22%). In-hospital mortality happened in 5 of 32 ELVO cases (16%), and all of them had lesions in the vertebrobasilar circulation. Regarding non-ELVO cases, two patients (6%) developed new neurologic deficits due to perforator strokes. There was no in-hospital mortality in this group. Conclusions: Even in unfavorable situations with acute atherothrombotic occlusions or recurrent strokes under aggressive medical therapy of known ICAS, PTAS remains a treatment option with reasonable effectiveness. This should be balanced against other treatment options, taking into account the complication rate, which is not negligible.