A multicenter study of 705 ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with Guglielmi detachable coils

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The long-term durability of Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) embolization of cerebral aneurysms is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of anatomic occlusion of aneurysms treated with GDCs and assess the rate of recanalization and re-treatment. METHODS: A multicenter study involving 650 patients with 705 ruptured aneurysms treated with GDCs between January 1998 to May 2003 was conducted. During this period, 63 % of ruptured aneurysms were treated by the endovascular technique. The morbidity and mortality associated with this technique, procedural feasibility, acute angiographic occlusion results, and long-term angiographic follow-up were assessed. RESULTS: Overall technical feasibility of GDC treatment was 96.9%. Upon admission, 25% of patients were Hunt and Hess grade IV or V. Acute angiographic results in 683 aneurysms demonstrated total occlusion in 496 cases (72.6%), subtotal occlusion in 171 cases (25.%), and incomplete occlusion in 16 cases (2.4%). All patients were controlled by angiography and MR imaging at 3 months, 1 year, and subsequent yearly examinations post-treatment. A second treatment was performed in 27 cases (recanalization, 4.7%). Long-term follow-up angiogram