Strategies and Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment for Ruptured Vertebral Artery Dissecting Aneurysms: A Single-Center Experience with 44 Consecutive Cases

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of endovascular treatment for ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs), with a focus on endovascular protocols tailored to different anatomical subtypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 44 consecutive patients with ruptured VADAs treated from December 2014 to October 2024. Treatment strategies were guided by aneurysm location: parent artery occlusion (PAO) was used for lesions in non-dominant VAs, while stent-assisted coiling (SAC) reconstruction was used for aneurysms in dominant VAs. Patients were stratified by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 3-month follow-up (favorable: mRS 0-2; unfavorable: mRS 3-6). RESULTS: All procedures were technically successful, including 12 single SAC, 13 overlapping SAC, and 19 with PAO (2 involving posterior inferior cerebellar artery preservation). Immediate complete occlusion was achieved in 50.0% of single SAC cases, 76.9% overlapping SAC, and 100% in the PAO group. Six (13.6%) procedure-related complications occurred, including 2 hemorrhagic and 4 ischemic events. Thirty patients (68.2%) had favorable outcomes, and the unfavorable outcomes group showed a higher incidence of ischemic events (P=0.012). An initial poor Hunt-Hess grade (≥IV) was an independent risk factor for unfavorable outcomes (odds ratio 6.35, 95% confidence interval 1.24-32.59; P=0.027). Angiographic follow-up was performed for 34 aneurysms, with complete occlusion achieved in 32 (94.1%); the remaining 2 patients were retreated. CONCLUSION: Endovascular management is safe and effective for ruptured VADAs. Anatomical stratification-PAO for non-dominant VA lesions and SAC for dominant VA aneurysms-may help achieve favorable outcomes.