J Korean Radiol Soc.  1999 Nov;41(5):849-854. 10.3348/jkrs.1999.41.5.849.

Usefulness of CT Angiogra p hy after Metallic Stent Implantation of the Internal Carotid Artery

• Yoon MW
• Kim HC
• Kim JK
• Seo JJ
• Jeong GW
• Kang HK

• KMID: 2117356
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1999.41.5.849

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of CT angiography in Patients with implantation of metallic stent for stenosed internal carotid artery.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Seven patients with atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery underwent metallic stent implantation. All were male and their ages ranged from 36 to 69 years. A total of seven stents were placed in the internal carotid artery in five patients and in the carotid bifurcation in two. Spiral CT scans were obtained and CT angiographic images were reconstructed using MPR or curved MPR techniques at a workstation. The interval between CT and conventional angiography did not exceed six days except in one patient, in whom it was 61days. CT and conventional angiography were compared for stent position with respect to the carotid bifurcation, stent deformation, intraluminal filling defect, and luminal caliber and outflow. Luminal patency of the implanted stent was measured according to NASCET(North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) criteria, and statistically processed (p<.05). The presence or absence of intrastent thrombus and vascular wall calcification was determined using axial source images.
RESULTS
In all patients, CT angiographic findings matched those obtained by conventional angiography. Complications such as migration or deformation of an implanted stent, intraluminal filling defect, change of luminal caliber or outflow of implanted stent were not observed in any patient. In two studies in which Wilcoxon signed rank test was used, degree of stent expansion correlated closely(p=0.237). Axial source images showed that in no patient was an intrastent thrombus present, though in five, vascular wall calcification of internal carotid arteries outside the stent was noted.
CONCLUSION
CT angiography is useful for the assessment of positional change, occlusion, and luminal patency of a stent-implanted internal carotid artery.

Keyword

Arteries, transluminal angioplasty; Carotid arteries, CT; Carotid arteries, angiography

MeSH Terms

Angiography
Carotid Artery, Internal*
Constriction, Pathologic
Endarterectomy, Carotid
Humans
Male
Phenobarbital
Stents*
Thrombosis
Tomography, Spiral Computed
Phenobarbital