ENDOVASCULAR COIL EMBOLIZATION OF MICROSURGICALLY PRODUCED EXPERIMENTAL BIFURCATION ANEURYSMS IN RABBITS

BACKGROUND Endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms is a relativel y new method, since only a few animal models and data are available. T he present experimental study was performed in order to establish an a ppropriate aneurysm animal model, to determine the rate of permanent o cclusion, and to correlate radiologic and morphologic findings. METHOD S End-to-side anastomoses of both common carotid arteries were perform ed microsurgically in 53 chinchilla rabbits. Venous pouches were adapt ed into the newly created bifurcation, resulting in berry-shaped aneur ysms comparable to those in humans with regard to size and hemodynamic s, Platinum and tungsten coils were used for endovascular embolization . The embolized aneurysms were investigated radiologically and morphol ogically. RESULTS Twenty-three carotid bifurcation aneurysms remained for testing endovascular therapeutic approaches. The morphologic exami nations of 13 embolized aneurysms revealed in no instance a complete o bliteration, even in the three cases that were considered completely e mbolized according to angiographic criteria. CONCLUSIONS The present a nimal model is an optimal tool for endovascular research. Analysis of the results of coil obliteration revealed a considerable discrepancy b etween radiologic and pathologic findings. The radiologic degree of an eurysm occlusion was overestimated. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc.