Comparative effect of pecutaneous transtuminl angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) plus medical therapy treatment versus medical therapy treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: evidence from a meta-analysis involving ten studies

The aim of our study was to define the rates of stroke or death, survival, and restenosis after enrolment among patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis events, who underwent PTAS plus medical therapy and medical therapy only. Databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, were comprehensively searched. RevMan software was used to analyze the outcome measures. Outcome measures included primary endpoints which were stroke or death within 30 days after enrolment, primary endpoint which were stroke or death within one year after enrolment, survival rate within one year after enrolment, and restenosis rate. PTAS plus medical therapy group had a higher rate of stroke or death within 30 days (RR=1.451, 95% CI=(1.011-2.084), P=0.044) and restenosis (RR=2.830, 95% CI=(1.351-5.927), P=0.006). PTAS plus medical therapy group and medical therapy group had similar rates of stroke or death within one year (RR=0.987, 95% CI=(0.634-1.539), P=0.956) and survival within one year (RR=0.877, 95% CI=(0.616-1.248), P=0.466). The present meta-analysis indicated that the outcomes of PTAS plus medical therapy were not obviously better compared to the outcomes of medical therapy on patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.