Treatment of Carotid Cavernous Fistulas Using Covered Stents: Midterm Results in Seven Patients

• Published in: American Journal of Neuroradiology Vol. 28; no. 9; pp. 1762 - 1768
• Main Authors: Gomez, F, Escobar, W, Gomez, A.M, Gomez, J.F, Anaya, C.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oak Brook, IL Am Soc Neuroradiology 01-10-2007; American Society of Neuroradiology
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula - diagnostic imaging; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula - surgery; Catheterization - instrumentation; Catheterization - methods; Equipment Design; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interventional; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiography; Stents; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Human; Nervous system diseases; Treatment; Radiodiagnosis; Blood vessel; Carotid; Circulatory system; Stent; Artery
• ISSN: 0195-6108; 1936-959X; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A0636

Carotid cavernous fistulas (CCF) can be effectively treated by using different therapeutic alternatives such as detachable balloons and detachable coils, alone or in combination with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) or Onyx. Stents have also been used in an attempt to improve preservation of the parent artery while still occluding the fistula. We present our experience using balloon-expandable covered stents to treat CCF, focusing on arterial wall reconstruction. To our knowledge, this is the first series with midterm follow-up between 3 months and 3.5 years.
From the 46 CCF treated at our institution between November 1998 and September 2006, a total of 7 posttraumatic direct CCF were treated using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered stents between April 2003 and September 2006. Five were treated with covered stents alone. One patient with transection of the internal carotid artery (ICA) first underwent bare stent placement to provide support for the covered stent. One patient had to be treated with coils and n-BCA.
Control angiograms obtained in the 7 patients demonstrated occlusion of the fistula and preservation of the ICA in all cases. There was no mortality and no immediate postprocedural morbidity. There was 1 case of morbidity identified at 1-month follow-up with asymptomatic occlusion of the ICA; the other 6 patients had angiographic follow-up between 3 and 42 months (mean, 18.4 months), with persistent occlusion of the fistulas, patent stent grafts, and no significant intimal hyperplasia.
PTFE-covered stents are evolving as a promising intracranial therapeutic alternative to treat CCF and preserve the parent artery by reconstructing the arterial wall. They should be considered in patients in whom fistulas cannot be successfully occluded with detachable balloons or detachable coils. More investigation is required to further develop their specifications and indications.