OBJECTIVETo study the necessity, feasibility, security of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) for symptomatic carotid stenosis combined with kinking.

METHODSTwelve patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis and kinking demonstrated by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) received CAS from December 2003 to December 2009. There were 9 male and 3 female patients, age ranged from 59 to 77 years (mean 69.3 years). All the patients' clinical, imaging, intervention and follow up data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTSAll CAS procedures were successfully performed with 14 self-expandable stents placed. The mean degree of stenosis was reduced from 85.6% before stenting to 11.2% after stenting, the angle of kinking, according to Metz' category, were improved from less than 90° to more than 120° in each case. No perioperative procedure related stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurred. The clinical symptoms and signs of cerebral ischemia were improved or disappeared for all patients. During follow-up of these 12 patients for 6 to 72 months, one patient experienced ipsilateral carotid territory TIA and another patient experienced contralateral carotid territory TIA. DSA follow up of 5 patients demonstrated 1 case with in-stent restenosis and arterial kinking remote to the stent of internal carotid artery. CAS were performed again and CT angiography follow up demonstrated no kinking and restenosis 2 years after the intervention. Duplex scan of the other 7 patients demonstrated neither kinking nor restenosis.

CONCLUSIONSCAS seems to be feasible and safe for the patients with symptomatic kinking and stenosis, and maybe helpful to lower the risk of cerebral ischemia, but further study is needed.