Histopathological evaluation of middle cerebral artery after percutaneous intracranial transluminal angioplasty.

Publication/Presentation Date

9-1-2003

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intracranial atherosclerosis accounts for 8% to 10% of all ischemic strokes, and intracranial angioplasty is increasingly performed to treat stenotic lesions. We report an autopsy case and discuss the effects of intracranial angioplasty for atherosclerotic arteries.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 77-year-old patient died 9 days after angioplasty of the left middle cerebral artery as a result of cardiorespiratory failure. The patient was anticoagulated before, during, and after the procedure with heparin, aspirin, and clopidogrel. At the site of angioplasty, the densely fibrotic eccentric plaque was displaced from the adjacent media into the lumen, distorting it and forming elongated projections. No local thrombosis, plaque compression, or inflammation was observed. Additionally, an intramural hemorrhage extended from the site of angioplasty into the stenotic proximal inferior division of the left middle cerebral artery.

CONCLUSIONS: Histopathological findings after intracranial angioplasty parallel those in other arterial territories. The implications of these pathological findings on the medical and endovascular treatment of intracranial atherosclerosis are discussed.

Volume

34

Issue

9

First Page

170

Last Page

173

ISSN

1524-4628

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

12907816

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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