Intracranial angioplasty and stenting for cerebral atherosclerosis: new treatments for stroke are needed!

INTRODUCTION: Intracranial atherosclerosis is a common cause of stroke. INTRACRANIAL ANGIOPLASTY AND STENT REVASCULARIZATION: Recent technological developments offer improved methods for endovascular revascularization of symptomatic and asymptomatic cerebral artery stenosis. Identification of appropriate patients remains a diagnostic challenge, and our knowledge about the natural history of the disease remains limited. RECOMMENDATIONS: At this time, patients with significant intracranial stenosis should receive counseling on the benefits and risks of revascularization therapy. Ultimately, determination of which patients should undergo revascularization procedures will require carefully planned, randomized clinical trials.