An observational study in Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD), Intracranial Arterial Stenosis and Stent Restenosis, sponsored by Xin Lou. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-18.
Sponsored by Xin Lou · Observational
Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is an important cause of ischemic stroke, and intracranial stent implantation is increasingly used for patients with severe stenotic lesions. Evaluation of stent patency and detection of in-stent restenosis are essential during follow-up. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) remains the reference standard for intracranial stent assessment; however, it is an invasive procedure associated with potential complications and radiation exposure. Conventional CT angiography may be limited by stent-related artifacts, including blooming artifact and beam-hardening effects, which can impair accurate evaluation of the stent lumen.
Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis is one of the major causes of ischemic stroke worldwide. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) has been widely applied for selected patients with severe intracranial arterial stenosis. Long-term surveillance after stent implantation is important because in-stent restenosis, incomplete stent expansion, incomplete stent apposition, and other stent-related abnormalities may affect clinical outcomes.
Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is currently considered the reference standard for evaluating intracranial stent patency. However, DSA is an invasive examination requiring arterial catheterization and carries risks including vascular complications and radiation exposure. Therefore, a reliable noninvasive imaging method for intracranial stent follow-up is clinically desirable. Conventional energy-integrating detector CT angiography (EID-CTA) may be limited in intracranial stent evaluation because of metal-related artifacts, particularly blooming artifact and beam-hardening effects.
Photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) represents a new generation of CT technology with improved spatial resolution, reduced electronic noise, and enhanced material separation capabilities. Ultra-high-resolution PCD-CT angiography may overcome limitations of conventional CTA and improve visualization of intracranial stent structures.
This prospective observational diagnostic study will include patients with intracranial arterial stents who undergo follow-up UHR PCD-CTA examinations. For patients who undergo DSA within a predefined interval, the findings of UHR PCD-CTA will be compared with DSA.
The results of this study may help determine the clinical value of UHR PCD-CTA as a noninvasive alternative or complementary imaging method for intracranial stent surveillance.
2,612 studies on the registry are indexed under Ischemic Stroke; 971 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is below the median of 300 across 771 observational studies indexed under Ischemic Stroke.
Browse Ischemic Stroke studies →Xin Lou is the lead sponsor of 5 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients with intracranial arterial stents
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients with previously implanted intracranial arterial stents who underwent follow-up ultra-high-resolution photon-counting CT angiography (UHR PCD-CTA) for evaluation of Stent patency and stent-related abnormalities.
Sensitivity of UHR PCD-CTA for detecting significant in-stent stenosis
Sensitivity of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT angiography (UHR PCD-CTA) for detecting significant in-stent stenosis (≥50%), using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard.
Time frame: 1-4years
Diagnostic accuracy of UHR PCD-CTA for detecting significant in-stent stenosis
Diagnostic accuracy of UHR PCD-CTA for detecting significant in-stent stenosis (≥50%), using DSA as the reference standard.
Time frame: 1-4years
Started Jan 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2029, 36 months after the start.
Of 394 non-industry observational studies under Ischemic Stroke, half reached primary completion within 56 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 25 and three quarters within 140. This study's planned 36 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 436 studies reached it within 53 months; a quarter within 24 and three quarters within 127.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Xin Lou