Treatment of a vertebral dissecting aneurysm with a balloon-expandable stent and guglielmi detachable coils.

A 43-year-old man with dissecting vertebral artery aneurysm presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage. The vertebral angiography showed a fusiform dilatation at the right intracranial vertebral artery between the origin of posterior inferior cerebellar artery and the vertebral union. After failing conservative therapy, a balloon-expandable stent was placed at intracranial vertebral artery, in a manner such that the entire dissecting aneurysm was covered. On follow-up angiogram, we recognized regrowth of theresidual aneurysm and stent deformation. The parent artery was occluded completely with several Guglielmi detachable coils. Brainstem dysfunction or rebleeding of the aneurysm were not encountered. Recently stenting therapy was deployed for a patient with dissecting aneurysm of the extracranial carotid or vertebral artery who was not a candidate for surgical treatment. We discuss the feasibilities and limitations of stent therapy.