Patency of anterior choroidal artery after flow diverter deployment with assessment of magnetic resonance imaging follow-up

Abstract

Purpose We aimed to analyse the patency rate of the anterior choroidal artery, and presented imaging and neurological findings, after deployment of a flow diverter in the anterior choroidal artery in the treatment of patients with intracranial aneurysms. Methods Among the 139 patients who underwent a flow diverter deployment from December 2012 to September 2017 in our hospital, there were 21 patients (15.1%) for whom their anterior choroidal artery was covered for the procedure with a flow diverter. The patients' age, sex, size of aneurysm and the presence or absence of an anterior choroidal artery occlusion, neurological findings and postoperative infarction in the anterior choroidal artery region were analysed retrospectively. Results The mean age of the six male and 15 female patients was 61.5 years (range 32–77 years). The mean maximal diameter of the aneurysms was 16.4 mm (range 10.0–29.4 mm). The anterior choroidal artery was patent in all 21 patients; however, a haemodynamic alteration in the anterior choroidal artery was detected in one patient. Postoperatively, hemiparesis was observed in two patients (9.5%) and a visual field defect in one patient (4.8%), both of which were the symptoms of infarction of the cortical branch of the middle cerebral artery or retinal artery ischaemia. However, no patients had symptoms due to ischaemia of the anterior choroidal artery confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions In all patients who underwent flow diverter deployment, the anterior choroidal artery was patent and no ischaemia was detected in the imaging or evidenced by neurological findings. Therefore, flow diverter deployment in the anterior choroidal artery was considered to be a safe procedure.