USE OF INTRAVASCULAR STENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF INTERNAL CAROTID AND EXTRACRANIAL VERTEBRAL ARTERY PSEUDOANEURYSMS

The management of extracranial carotid or vertebral artery pseudoaneur ysms is controversial. Although some of these lesions resolve spontane ously, many clinicians opt to treat them with trapping procedures that result in vessel sacrifice. We describe two cases in which an intrava scular stent was used to obliterate an aneurysm of the extracranial ve rtebral artery and the internal carotid artery, respectively, while ma intaining the patency of the parent vessel. This technique, which has been successful in experimental animal models, shows promise for appli cation in humans.