Extracranial Carotid Artery Aneurysm Registry

CAR is a prospective observational study, initiated by the Department of Vascular Surgery at University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), The Netherlands. The study is descriptive in nature. The registry will be conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (64th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013). The medical ethics committee of the UMCU has approved the study and all patients must give written informed consent before enrollment. Study enrolment is open to any patient diagnosed with an ECAA and ongoing.

Enrollment criteria: Participation in the CAR is intended for all subjects diagnosed with an ECAA irrespective of chosen treatment. Aneurysms are defined as 150% dilatation of the normal vessel diameter, or any saccular aneurysm. To be included, aneurysms must be located in the CCA, the external carotid artery or in the extracranial part of the ICA.To be included in the registry, patients need to be 18 years old. There are no additional exclusion criteria.

Intervention and follow-up:CAR does not interfere with the physician's treatment decision. Follow-up visits and imaging studies are scheduled as usual in their clinical practice, as this study does also not interfere with or influence the follow-up regimen.

Study endpoints:The primary endpoint of the CAR is freedom from aneurysm related symptoms at 30 days and at mid- and longterm follow-up. The secondary endpoint comprises treatment safety.

Endpoint monitoring:An endpoint adjudication committee, consisting of clinical experts, is set up to harmonize and standardize endpoint assessment and to determine whether the endpoints meet described criteria. This committee will review important subjective endpoints reported by trial investigators. The members of this committee are blinded to the treatment regime.