Overlapping Stents for Treatment of a Dissecting Carotid Artery Aneurysm

PURPOSE: To report the increased efficacy of oversized, overlapping stents to treat an internal carotid artery (ICA) dissecting aneurysm. CASE REPORT: A 55-year-old woman presented with reduced consciousness, aphasia, and right-sided hemiplegia owing to an infarction of the left middle cerebral artery territory documented by computed tomography. Digital subtraction angiography disclosed an extracranial dissection of the left ICA with a pseudoaneurysm. Two self-expanding Wallstents were placed, bridging the dissected segment and overlapping at the level of the aneurysm neck. Immediate arteriography showed remarkably reduced filling of the pseudoaneurysm. Serial arteriograms performed 6 days and 9 and 20 months after stenting documented the disappearance of the pseudoaneurysm without appreciable intimal hyperplasia of the vessel w all. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing stent porosity by overlapping the devices causes significant hemodynamic changes inside the aneurysm sac, accelerating intra-aneurysmal thrombosis.