BACKGROUND:
The pipeline embolization device (PED) has been used for treatment of unruptured aneurysms. Little is known about the use of the PED in ruptured aneurysms.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the safety and efficacy of the PED in ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
METHODS:
This is a case series with prospective data collection on 20 patients with freshly ruptured aneurysms who were treated with PED (with or without adjunctive coiling) at 2 cerebrovascular centers. Patients were loaded with aspirin and clopidogrel or received an infusion of tirofiban intraoperatively.
RESULTS:
Hunt and Hess grades were I in 7 patients (35%), II in 9 (45%), and III in 4 (20%). The mean duration from hemorrhage to PED placement was 7 ± 7.0 days. A single device was used in all but 1 patient (95%). The procedure was staged in 20%. There was only 1 complication (5%); this was a fatal intraoperative aneurysm dome rupture that occurred during adjunctive coil deployment. Adjunctive coiling was used in 30%. No patient required an invasive procedure after PED placement. Follow-up angiography (mean, 5.3 ± 4.2 months; range, 2-12 months) showed 100% occlusion in 12 (80%) and incomplete occlusion in 3 patients (20%). At latest follow-up, 19 patients achieved a favorable outcome (modified rankin scale 0-2).
CONCLUSION:
In our preliminary experience, treatment of ruptured aneurysms with the PED was associated with low complication rates, high occlusion rates, and favorable outcomes. These findings suggest that PED may be a safe and effective option for patients with favorable Hunt and Hess grades and aneurysms difficult to treat with conventional methods.
ABBREVIATIONS:
FDA, Food and Drug Administration
PED, pipeline embolization device
