Single-center experience on endovascular repair of noninfected extracranial internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysms

Abstract

In the period ranging from 2006 to 2010, 5 endovascular interventions for carotid pseudoaneurysm (4 post-carotid endarterectomy [post-CEA] and 1 posttraumatic), without signs of infection, were carried out. All patients were neurologically asymptomatic. A covered stent was used in 4 cases. The fifth patient, undergoing a third endovascular procedure after a re-do open surgical repair of a post-CEA pseudoaneurysm, was treated with a bare stent. The technical success rate was 100%. A type 1 endoleak at the end of the procedure was observed in 1 patient, but it disappeared before discharging. No perioperative neurologic events occurred. At the most recent mean follow-up of 24 months, all patients are alive, without neurologic symptoms, and all have maintained patency of the internal carotid artery and are pseudoaneurysm-free.