%0 Journal Article
%T Treatment of mechanically-induced vasospasm of the carotid artery in a primate using intra-arterial verapamil: a technical case report
%A Alexander L Coon
%A Geoffrey P Colby
%A William J Mack
%A Lei Feng
%A Philip Meyers
%A E Sander Connolly
%J BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
%D 2004
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2261-4-11
%X As part of a study assessing the placement feasibility and safety of a catheter capable of delivering intra-arterial cerebroprotective therapy, a female 16 kg baboon prophylaxed with intravenous nitroglycerin underwent transfemoral CCA catheterization with a metallic 6-Fr catheter without signs of acute spasm. The protocol dictated that the catheter remain in the CCA for 12 hours. Upon completion of the protocol, arteriography revealed a marked decrease in CCA size (mean cross-sectional area reduction = 31.6 ¡À 1.9%) localized along the catheter length. Intra-arterial verapamil (2 mg/2cc) was injected and arteriography was performed 10 minutes later. Image analysis at 6 points along the CCA revealed a 21.0 ¡À 1.7% mean increase in vessel diameter along the length of the catheter corresponding to a 46.7 ¡À 4.0% mean increase in cross-sectional area. Mean systemic blood pressure did not deviate more than 10 mm Hg during the procedure.Intraluminal CCBs like verapamil may constitute an effective endovascular treatment for mechanically-induced vasospasm in medium to large-sized vessels such as the CCA.Rapid advancements in endovascular technology and techniques allow for treatment of an ever-increasing range of neurovascular diseases. Despite improvements in the safety and efficacy of these procedures, complications such as vasospasm, stroke, and perforation still occur [1]. Vasospasm, or contraction of smooth muscle fibers in the wall of a vessel, is a commonly recognized adverse event that may complicate an endovascular procedure by limiting distal blood flow.Vasospasm complicates many disease states, particularly those affecting small vessels. Recently, treatment of small-vessel vasospasm has proven amenable to pharmacological intervention. For example, in the treatment of cerebral artery spasm, intravenous nitrates [2], intravenous calcium channel blockers (CCBs) [3], and intra-arterial papaverine [4] and CCBs [5] have been shown to prevent or mitigate this small artery
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/4/11