Context

Patients with a recent transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or ischaemic stroke attributed to 70–99% intracranial artery stenosis have a 23% of 1-year risk for subsequent stroke. Over the past decade, intracranial angioplasty and stenting (IAS) has increasingly been used, without convincing evidence of efficacy or rigorous assessment of safety. Stenting and aggressive medical management for preventing recurrent stroke in intracranial stenosis (SAMMPRIS) was a clinical trial that sought to determine whether IAS combined with intensive medical management (IMM) was superior to IMM alone in the prevention of stroke and death.