Newly developed DWI hyperintensities and changes in cerebral blood flow after carotid stent placement for unilateral symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

This study aimed to evaluate changes in cerebral blood flow and perioperative outcomes in patients with unilateral symptomatic carotid artery stenosis before and after carotid artery stenting (CAS), providing insights to guide surgical decision-making. Ninety-six patients with moderate to severe unilateral symptomatic carotid artery stenosis (>50%) admitted to the Neurology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from June 2023 to April 2024 were included. All patients underwent CAS and magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and 3D quasi-continuous arterial spin-labeled perfusion imaging, within 3 days preoperatively and on the third postoperative day.