2012 Volume 21 Issue 7 Pages 563-569
A 59-year-old female presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage and was admitted to our institution. The right vertebral angiogram showed a dissecting aneurysm involving the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). The left vertebral artery was of small caliber. Stent-assisted coil embolization of the aneurismal dilatation using a coronary stent was performed on the day of its rupture while preserving the patency of the parent artery and the origin of the PICA. The patient recovered completely without any episodes of re-rupture or infarction. Although the follow-up angiogram temporarily demonstrated partial recanalization, the aneurysm was excluded from the circulation, with good patency of the vertebral artery and PICA, after withholding anticoagulants. The efficacy of stent-assisted coil embolization in the prevention of rebleeding in the acute stage is still uncertain, however, this technique may offer a potential method for treating patients who are for high risk of developing ischemic complications due to parent artery occlusion.
