Intracranial aneurysms coiling with matrix: immediate results in 152 patients and midterm anatomic follow-up from 115 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We report our experience using Matrix coils in coiling of cerebral aneurysms. METHODS Clinical and angiographic outcomes of 152 patients (165 aneurysms) treated exclusively with Matrix coils were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS There were 74 ruptured aneurysms (44.8%) and 91 unruptured (55.2%). After coiling, 84 (50.9%) aneurysms were occluded, 38 (23.0%) aneurysms had a neck remnant, and 43 (26.1%) aneurysms had a sac remnant. Packing ranged from 10% to 49% (mean and median, 27%). Overall treatment-induced morbidity was 6.6% and mortality was 1.3% (10 of 152 to 2 of 152, respectively). One hundred fifteen (69.7%) aneurysms were followed, disclosing 42 (36.5%) recurrences at a mean period of 9 months (median, 6 months; range, 1 to 28 months). The recurrence rate for small aneurysms (<10 mm) was 28 (31.1%) of 90, whereas for larger aneurysms (>/=10 mm), the recurrence rate was 14 (56.0%) of 25 (P=0.0336). When packing was 25%, the recurrence rate was 29.8% (P=0.1588). Recurrence rate was not correlated to packing. Ruptured aneurysms recurred more frequently than unruptured aneurysms (P=0.0004). CONCLUSIONS Matrix coils provided no better recanalization rates than those reported previously for bare platinum coils.