Safety of Abciximab injection during endovascular treatment of ruptured aneurysms

Background and purpose: We aimed to determine the safety of intra-arterial Abciximab injection in the management of thromboembolic complications during endovascular treatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms. Methods: In a monocentric consecutive series of endovascular treatment of 783 ruptured aneurysms, 42 (5.3%) patients received Abciximab after the aneurysm was secured. Bleeding complications were registered and dichotomized as follows: new intracranial hemorrhage and peripheral bleeding. For each patient, World Federation of Neurosurgery (WFNS) subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) grade, shunting, and clinical outcomes in the post-operative period and at 3-6 months were recorded. Results: SAH WFNS grades were as follows: grade I n = 14, grade II n = 10, grade III n = 11, grade IV n = 4, grade V n = 3. Ten patients had intracranial hematoma additionally to the SAH prior to embolization. Four patients (9.5%) presented more blood on the post-embolization CT but only one suffered a new clinically relevant intracranial hemorrhage. Two patients (4.8%) experienced significant peripheral bleeding but none were associated with long-term disabilities. Fourteen patients had a shunt installed less than 24 h prior to Abciximab injection and one less than 48 h later. At 3-6-month follow-up, 31 patients (74%) achieved a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) of 2 or less, six patients (14%) had a mRS of 3-5, three were dead (7%), and two were lost at follow-up. Conclusion: When the aneurysm is secured, intra-arterial Abciximab injection is a low complication rate treatment modality for thromboembolic events during embolization of cerebral ruptured aneurysm.