Background: Treatment of unruptured vertebral artery aneurysm involving posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is challenging. The experience of pipeline embolization device (PED) therapy for these lesions is still limited. Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PED for unruptured vertebral artery aneurysm involving PICA. Methods: Thirty-two patients with unruptured vertebral artery aneurysm involving PICA underwent treatment with PED were retrospectively identified. Procedure-related complications, PICA patency, clinical, and angiographic outcomes were analyzed. Results: Thirty-two aneurysms were successfully treated without any procedure-related complications. Images were available in 30 patients (93.8%) during a period of 3-26 months follow-up (average 8.4 months), which confirmed complete occlusion in 17 patients (56.5%), near-complete occlusion in 9 patients (30%), and incomplete occlusion in one patient (3.3%). Parent artery occlusion (PAO) was occurred in 3 patients (10%). Twenty-eight of 30 PICA remained patent. The two occlusions of PICA were secondary to PAO. At a mean of 20.7 months (range 7-50 months) clinical follow-up, all the patients achieved a favorable outcome without any new neurological deficit. Conclusion: PED seems to be a safe and effective alternative endovascular option for patients with unruptured vertebral artery aneurysm involving PICA.
Keywords: dissecting aneurysms; pica; pipeline embolization device; posterior circulation aneurysms; vertebral artery.
Copyright © 2021 Fu, Ge, Luo, Meng, Wang, Jin and Li.