Incidence of contrast-induced neurotoxicity following endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a single-centre cohort study

Contrast-induced neurotoxicity (CIN) is a recognised complication of endovascular procedures and has been increasingly observed in recent years. Amongst other clinical gaps, the precise incidence of CIN is unclear, particularly following intracranial interventional procedures.

A retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing elective endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) was performed. Patients with previously ruptured aneurysms were excluded. The primary aim of this study was to determine the incidence of CIN following endovascular UIA treatment. Our secondary aim was to isolate potential predictive factors for developing CIN.

From 2017 to 2023, a total of 158 patients underwent endovascular UIA treatment, with a median age of 64 years (IQR: 54–72), and 70.3% of female sex. Over the study period, the crude incidence of CIN was 2.5% (95% CI: 0.7 – 6.4%). The most common clinical manifestation of CIN was confusion (75%) and seizures (50%). Statistical analysis was conducted, and prolonged procedural duration was found be significantly associated with developing CIN (OR 12.55; p = 0.030).

Clinicians should be aware of the risk of CIN following endovascular neurointervention, particularly following technically challenging cases resulting in prolonged procedural time.