Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Neuroform EZ self expanding stent for severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis(sICAS).Methods Retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with severe sICAS who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting(PTAS)with a Neuroform EZ stent in the Department of Cerebrovascular Disease,Henan Provincial People's Hospital,from March 2020 to December 2022.Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected,including age,sex,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,dyslipidemia,hyperhomocysteinemia,transient ischemic attack(TIA)and ischemic stroke,smoking history,modified Rankin scale(mRS)score at admission,and National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score.Preoperative imaging data included target vessel(basilar artery,intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery,middle cerebral artery,and intracranial vertebral artery),lesion length,degree of stenosis,and vascular morphology according to the Mori classification(type A,lesion length＜5 mm with concentric or moderately eccentric stenosis;type B,lesion length＜10 mm with severely eccentric stenosis;type C,lesion length＞10 mm or arterial angulation＞90°).Technical success was defined as accurate delivery and deployment of the stent with complete coverage of the target lesion and immediate post deployment residual stenosis＜50%.Postoperative head CT was performed to detect intracranial hemorrhage.Periprocedural complications were recorded,including intracranial hemorrhage,arterial dissection,in stent thrombosis,and perforator occlusion occurring intraoperatively within 72 hours after the procedure.At one-month post-operation,patients were seen through outpatient follow-up for TIA,hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke,and all cause death.At 6 months after surgery,DSA or CT angiography(CTA)was performed to assess in stent restenosis(ISR,defined as＞50%stenosis within the stent or within5mm of its edges,or＞20%luminal loss).At 1 and 2 years postoperatively,ipsilateral ischemic stroke or TIA recurrence was assessed by outpatient visit or telephone follow up.Results A total of 76 patients with severe sICAS underwent PTAS with a Neuroform EZ stent(56 males,20 females,age 47-80 years,with a mean age of[61±10]years).(1)Within all patients enrolled,40 had middle cerebral artery,16 with basilar artery,6 with intracranial vertebral artery and 14 with intracranial internal carotid artery.The preprocedural lesion length was 2-15 mm,with a mean length of(6.2±2.5)mm,and stenosis severity was70%-99%,the mean severity was(83.2±6.9)%,with Mori type B being the most common type(57.9%[44/76]).(2)PTAS was successfully completed on all patients(technical success 100%).Pre dilation with a conventional balloon was performed in all cases(using balloon with diameter of 1.5-3.5mm,and stent with diameter of 2.5-4.5 mm and length of 15-30 mm).Immediate post procedural residual stenosis was(17.4±9.0)%,significantly lower than baseline(t=52.9,P＜0.05),with a mean difference of 65.8%(95%CI63.3%-68.3%).(3)Among all 76patients,one patient developed a flow limiting dissection post balloon angioplasty,which recovered after stent deployment.One patient with basilar artery stenosis experienced recurrent ischemic stroke at 5-day postoperatively,presenting with right sided weakness and coughing on liquids.Imaging showed an acute infarct in the left pons,considered perforator occlusion.The overall periprocedural complication rate was 2.6%(2/76).(4)No deaths occurred within 30 days after surgery.Sixty nine patients(90.8%)underwent 6 month imaging follow up with DSA(52 cases)or CTA(17 cases).ISR occurred in 12 patients(17.4%),including 6 asymptomatic and 6symptomatic cases.The ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence rate was 6.6%(5/76)at1 year and13.2%(10/76)at2years.Conclusions Neuroform EZstent assisted PTASappears safe and feasible for the treatment of severe sICAS.The long term effectiveness requires confirmation in large,multicenter,prospective studies.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Neuroform EZ self expanding stent for severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis(sICAS).Methods Retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with severe sICAS who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting(PTAS)with a Neuroform EZ stent in the Department of Cerebrovascular Disease,Henan Provincial People's Hospital,from March 2020 to December 2022.Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected,including age,sex,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,dyslipidemia,hyperhomocysteinemia,transient ischemic attack(TIA)and ischemic stroke,smoking history,modified Rankin scale(mRS)score at admission,and National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score.Preoperative imaging data included target vessel(basilar artery,intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery,middle cerebral artery,and intracranial vertebral artery),lesion length,degree of stenosis,and vascular morphology according to the Mori classification(type A,lesion length＜5 mm with concentric or moderately eccentric stenosis;type B,lesion length＜10 mm with severely eccentric stenosis;type C,lesion length＞10 mm or arterial angulation＞90°).Technical success was defined as accurate delivery and deployment of the stent with complete coverage of the target lesion and immediate post deployment residual stenosis＜50%.Postoperative head CT was performed to detect intracranial hemorrhage.Periprocedural complications were recorded,including intracranial hemorrhage,arterial dissection,in stent thrombosis,and perforator occlusion occurring intraoperatively within 72 hours after the procedure.At one-month post-operation,patients were seen through outpatient follow-up for TIA,hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke,and all cause death.At 6 months after surgery,DSA or CT angiography(CTA)was performed to assess in stent restenosis(ISR,defined as＞50%stenosis within the stent or within5mm of its edges,or＞20%luminal loss).At 1 and 2 years postoperatively,ipsilateral ischemic stroke or TIA recurrence was assessed by outpatient visit or telephone follow up.Results A total of 76 patients with severe sICAS underwent PTAS with a Neuroform EZ stent(56 males,20 females,age 47-80 years,with a mean age of[61±10]years).(1)Within all patients enrolled,40 had middle cerebral artery,16 with basilar artery,6 with intracranial vertebral artery and 14 with intracranial internal carotid artery.The preprocedural lesion length was 2-15 mm,with a mean length of(6.2±2.5)mm,and stenosis severity was70%-99%,the mean severity was(83.2±6.9)%,with Mori type B being the most common type(57.9%[44/76]).(2)PTAS was successfully completed on all patients(technical success 100%).Pre dilation with a conventional balloon was performed in all cases(using balloon with diameter of 1.5-3.5mm,and stent with diameter of 2.5-4.5 mm and length of 15-30 mm).Immediate post procedural residual stenosis was(17.4±9.0)%,significantly lower than baseline(t=52.9,P＜0.05),with a mean difference of 65.8%(95%CI63.3%-68.3%).(3)Among all 76patients,one patient developed a flow limiting dissection post balloon angioplasty,which recovered after stent deployment.One patient with basilar artery stenosis experienced recurrent ischemic stroke at 5-day postoperatively,presenting with right sided weakness and coughing on liquids.Imaging showed an acute infarct in the left pons,considered perforator occlusion.The overall periprocedural complication rate was 2.6%(2/76).(4)No deaths occurred within 30 days after surgery.Sixty nine patients(90.8%)underwent 6 month imaging follow up with DSA(52 cases)or CTA(17 cases).ISR occurred in 12 patients(17.4%),including 6 asymptomatic and 6symptomatic cases.The ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence rate was 6.6%(5/76)at1 year and13.2%(10/76)at2years.Conclusions Neuroform EZstent assisted PTASappears safe and feasible for the treatment of severe sICAS.The long term effectiveness requires confirmation in large,multicenter,prospective studies.