Usefulness of intravascular ultrasonography for treatment of a ruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysm.

We report successful stent implantation and secondary coil embolization in a wide-necked dissecting aneurysm in the vertebral artery. Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) showed the thrombosed pseudolumen clearly and enabled precise determination of the appropriate stent size. After stent implantation, Guglielmi detachable coil embolization was performed. Further experience is necessary to refine the technique, but IVUS may be useful to improve the safety of stent-assisted embolization.