Endovascular treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency: is the procedure safe?

Objectives The aim of this report is to assess the safety of endovascular treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). Although balloon angioplasty and stenting seem to be safe procedures, there are currently no data on the treatment of a large group of patients with this vascular pathology. Methods A total of 564 endovascular procedures (balloon angioplasty or, if this procedure failed, stenting) were performed during 344 interventions in 331 CCSVI patients with associated multiple sclerosis. Results Balloon angioplasty alone was performed in 192 cases (55.8%), whereas the stenting of at least one vein was required in the remaining 152 cases (44.2%). There were no majo…