Affiliations: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, China | Department of Neurology, Nationalities and West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China | School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Note: [] These authors made equal contributions to this work.
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Wanhong Liu, Donghu Road #185, Wuchang, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China. Tel.: +86 27 68759985; Fax: +86 27 68759991; E-mail: liuwanhong@whu.edu.cn.
Abstract: Stroke is a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. Subtotal occlusion of the carotid artery is an important risk factor for stroke. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is increasingly being used for treatment of carotid artery stenosis. There are many reports on treating carotid artery stenosis by CAS; however, there are few case reports on treating symptomatic carotid artery subtotal occlusion by CAS, especially in China. To test the clinical applicability, technical results, and morbidity of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in the treatment of symptomatic carotid artery subtotal occlusion. The clinical data of 27 symptomatic carotid artery subtotal occlusion patients treated with carotid stenting from January 2005 to December 2009 at the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities and the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were systematically reviewed and analysed. Our results suggest that after balloon pre-dilation of the stenotic lesion, with the protection of a distal filter protection device, carotid stenting can be performed to treat symptomatic carotid artery subtotal occlusion patients with acceptable safety. However, the widespread use of this technique still requires large-scale clinical investigation.
