Follow-up Study after Intracranial Percutaneous Transluminal Cerebral Balloon Angioplasty

Purpose of this research was to find specific characteristics angiographic lesions appropriate for intracranial percutaneous transluminal cerebral angioplasty (PTCBA). Forty-two clinically symptomatic patients with 42 haemodynamically significant intracranial lesions were treated by PTCBA between January 1992 and May 1996. Before the angioplasty treatment, the patients were classified into three groups according to angiographic lesion characteristics. They were followed after PTCBA from one month to six years to compare the three groups. Primary end points were death, stroke, or bypass surgery. The clinical success rates in type A, B and C groups were 92%, 86% and 33% (p=0.0032), respectively. Cumulative risks of fatal or nonfatal ischaemic stroke in type A, B and C groups were 8%, 12% and 56%, respectively. PTCBA for intracranial simple (type A) lesions produces a favourable clinical outcome for symptomatic patients.