Treatment Modalities and Long-Term Outcomes in Unruptured Vertebrobasilar Fusiform Aneurysms: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis.

Methods: This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results: Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; P=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; P=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; P=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I-II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III-IV VBFAs.

Conclusions: Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I-II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.