Procedural Clinical Complications, Case-Fatality Risks, and Risk Factors in Endovascular and Neurosurgical Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

Importance

The risk of procedural clinical complications and the case-fatality rate (CFR) from preventive treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms varies between studies and may depend on treatment modality and risk factors.

Objective

To assess current procedural clinical 30-day complications and the CFR from endovascular treatment (EVT) and neurosurgical treatment (NST) of unruptured intracranial aneurysms and risk factors of clinical complications.

Data Sources

We searched PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and the Cochrane Database for studies published between January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2017.

Study Selection

Studies reporting on clinical complications, the CFR, and risk factors, including 50 patients or more undergoing EVT or NST for saccular unruptured intracranial aneurysms after January 1, 2000, were eligible.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Per treatment modality, we analyzed clinical complication risk and the CFR with mixed-effects logistic regression models for dichotomous data. For studies reporting data on complication risk factors, we obtained risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs and pooled risk estimates with weighted random-effects models.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Clinical complications within 30 days and the CFR.

Results

We included 114 studies (106 433 patients with 108 263 aneurysms). For EVT (74 studies), the pooled clinical complication risk was 4.96% (95% CI, 4.00%-6.12%), and the CFR was 0.30% (95% CI, 0.20%-0.40%). Factors associated with complications from EVT were female sex (pooled OR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.01-1.11]), diabetes (OR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.05-3.13]), hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.3-2.37]), cardiac comorbidity (OR, 2.27 [95% CI, 1.53-3.37]), wide aneurysm neck (>4 mm or dome-to-neck ratio >1.5; OR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.38-2.11]), posterior circulation aneurysm (OR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.15-1.74]), stent-assisted coiling (OR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.16-2.85]), and stenting (OR, 3.43 [95% CI, 1.45-8.09]). For NST (54 studies), the pooled complication risk was 8.34% (95% CI, 6.25%-11.10%) and the CFR was 0.10% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.20%). Factors associated with complications from NST were age (OR per year increase, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.02]), female sex (OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.32-0.85]), coagulopathy (OR, 2.14 [95% CI, 1.13-4.06]), use of anticoagulation (OR, 6.36 [95% CI, 2.55-15.85]), smoking (OR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.36-2.79]), hypertension (OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.03-2.03]), diabetes (OR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.54-3.67]), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.71 [95% CI, 1.57-4.69]), posterior aneurysm location (OR, 7.25 [95% CI, 3.70-14.20]), and aneurysm calcification (OR, 2.89 [95% CI, 1.35-6.18]).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study identifies risk factors for procedural complications. Large data sets with individual patient data are needed to develop and validate prediction scores for absolute complication risks and CFRs from EVT and NST modalities.