China Angioplasty and Stenting for Symptomatic Intracranial Severe Stenosis (CASSISS): A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial After SAMMPRIS

Background: Patients with symptomatic stenosis of intracranial arteries are at high risk for future stroke. Since the SAMMPRIS trial, stenting is not recommended as primary treatment; however, the results of this trial, its inclusion criteria and its center selection received significant criticism and did not appear to reflect our experience regarding treatment complications rate. As intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is the most common cause for stroke in Asian countries, we propose a refined prospective, randomised, multicenter study in a Chinese population with strictly defined patient and participating center inclusion criteria. Methods: The CASSISS trial is an ongoing, government-funded, prospective, multicenter trial (NCT01763320). It recruits patients with recent TIA or stroke caused by 70-99% stenosis of a major intracranial artery. Patients with previous stroke related to perforator ischemia will not be included. Only high-volume centers with a proven track record will enroll patients. For pract...