Purpose Stent assisted coil embolization recently became a common treatment strategy for the wide neck aneurysms. Normal digital subtraction angiography (DSA), however, does not allow visualization of the deployed stents. With a combination of novel Metal Artefact Removal software (MAR) and C-arm CT, the coil mass, stent, and contrast material can be differentiated. In this study, experimental aneurysms were treated with stent assisted coil embolization and image analysis was performed using the C-arm CT and MAR. I. V. injection of the contrast to obtain the images was also performed.

Methods A total of 12 experimental aneurysms were created in 6 swine. The aneurysms were treated with coil embolization using stent assisted technique. High Resolution (HR) C-arm CT with intra-arterial injection of the contrast dye (20%) was performed immediately after the treatment and obtained images were processed with MAR. Intra venous contrast injection (non-diluted) from femoral vein was also performed in 3 swine. Visualization of the residual aneurysms as well as coil loops protruded into the stent lumen was evaluated. Two patients previously treated with stent assisted coil embolization underwent the same image acquisition protocol, and the obtained images were evaluated.

Results Coil loops protruded into the stent lumen, which were not visible before the MAR due to the significant metal artefact, were well visualised after the MAR. Likewise, Contrast filling into the residual aneurism was observed after the MAR in every aneurysm. Intravenous injection of the contrast material reproduced similar image quality as compared to the intra arterial injections. The C-arm CT images of the two patients showed remarkable reduction of the metal artefacts after the MAR processing.

Conclusions The combination of the C-arm CT and MAR enables the differentiation of the coil mass, stent and contrast material by markedly reducing the metal artefact produced by the coils. This novel image modality may contribute to the evaluation of aneurysms treated with stent assisted coil embolization.

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Abstract O-001 Figure 1

Disclosures I. Yuki: 1; C; Siemens Grant. Y. Kambayashi: 1; C; Siemens Grant. A. Ikemura: 1; C; Siemens Grant. I. Kan: 1; C; Siemens Grant. Y. Abe: None. A. Mohamed: 5; C; Siemens Japan KK. C. Dahmani: 5; C; Siemens Japan KK. T. Ishibashi: 1; C; Siemens Grant. I. Kajiwara: 1; C; Siemens Grant. K. Nishimura: 1; C; Siemens Grant. Y. Murayama: 1; C; Siemens Grant.