Abciximab is a safe rescue therapy in thromboembolic events complicating cerebral aneurysm coil embolization: single center experience in 42 cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the safety and efficacy of abciximab treatment in combination with prophylactic heparin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and clopidogrel application in cases of thrombus formation complicating endovascular coil embolization in cerebral aneurysms.
METHODS: Thromboembolic incidents during endovascular management of 515 consecutive cerebral aneurysms were observed in 48 cases (9.3%). Eight incidents were observed during embolization of incidental aneurysms (8/174; 4.6%, 95% CI: 2.0 to 8.9%). All patients underwent anticoagulation with heparin and platelet-inhibition with ASA during treatment procedure. In addition, clopidogrel orally was applied 3 days preoperatively in patients with incidental aneurysms. In case of thrombus formation, glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitor abciximab was given in 42 cases. No coagulation-effective rescue treatment was conducted in 5 cases. One patient was treated with r-tPA. End points were infarction on follow-up cranial CT and the rate of intracranial hemorrhages.
RESULTS: No infarcts on follow-up CT were observed after treatment with abciximab in 29/42 patients (69.0%, 95% CI: 52.9 to 82.4%). No coagulant rescue therapy was applied in 5 patients because of a small nonocclusive thrombus or good collateral blood supply, showing consecutive infarction on follow-up CT in 3 cases as did the 1 patient treated with r-tPA. No periprocedural bleedings or rebleedings were observed in any case.
CONCLUSIONS: Abciximab was safe as rescue treatment in cases of thrombus formation during endovascular aneurysm coiling. In our study the use of Abciximab, in combination with prophylactic anticoagulation and antiaggregation, does not lead to additional intracranial hemorrhages or any extracranial bleeding complications.