Intracranial deployment of coronary stents for symptomatic atheroscleroticdisease

Intracranial percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) has been u sed as a technique of last resort in the treatment of intracranial atherosc lerotic disease when medical and surgical alternatives have failed or canno t be applied. The major risks associated with PTA include intracranial vess el rupture and abrupt vessel dissection causing occlusion, Angioplasty tech niques in the extracranial circulation have been improved by the developmen t of safe stent technology in combination with potent antiplatelet agents. We report three successful cases of symptomatic intracranial atheroscleroti c disease in middle-aged adults treated by endovascular PTA followed by dep loyment of coronary stents.