Intracranial atherosclerotic disease: common, dangerous, and treatable.

The use of endoluminal revascularization has revolutionized many areas of medicine, including cardiology and vascular surgery. More recently, the application of balloons and stents to the intracranial circulation has been made possible by rapid and constant developments in device technology. These advances have fostered the use of stenting for the treatment of various intracranial disorders, including atherosclerosis, aneurysms, and arterial dissections. Angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) seems to be a natural extension of endovascular medicine. In this chapter, the rationale and indications for endovascular treatment of ICAD are presented. The technical aspects and future directions of endoluminal revascularization for ICAD are discussed.