The role of angioplasty in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease

PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY (PTA), an established treatment of arterial stenosis in coronary, renal, and other peripheral sites, is being applied to the cerebrovascular territory with greater frequency. Early results suggest that PTA may be safe and efficacious in the treatment of extracranial arterial stenosis secondary to atherosclerosis and fibromuscular dysplasia. PTA is also being used with promising results in treating symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis from atherosclerosis. This review examines PTA in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease, current indications, and results.