Outcomes of reconstructive endovascular treatment of vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms with intramural hematoma

BACKGROUND: Vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms (VBDAs) with an intramural hematoma (IMH) usually cause symptoms because of mass effect and grow in size over time. Clinical outcomes are generally poor. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine outcomes of reconstructive endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with VBDAs with IMH. Safety and effectiveness were compared between flow diverters (FDs) and conventional stents. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological data of 36 VBDAs with IMH in 36 patients who underwent EVT with either FDs or conventional stents from January 2012 to December 2020 at our institution. RESULTS: Among the 36 study patients, 20 were treated with FDs and 16 with conventional stents. Incidence of procedure-related complications did not significantly differ between the two stents. IMH growth occurred after EVT in a significantly higher proportion of conventional stent group aneurysms (zero vs. 31.3% [5/16]; p = 0.012). Among the five aneurysms with IMHs that grew, all recurred. Change in IMH size after EVT was significantly lower in the FD group (−2.7 vs. +8.1%, p = 0.036). However, after the recurrent aneurysms were removed from the conventional stent group, change in IMH size did not significantly differ between the two groups (−2.7 vs. +1.0%, p = 0.332). The proportion of patients who experienced an improvement in mRS score after EVT was significantly higher in the FD group (60 vs. 25%, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: IMHs in VBDAs stop growing after successful reconstructive EVT. Although both FD and conventional stent treatment are effective, FD treatment may be superior based on clinical outcomes and effect on IMH size.