Springer Verlag, Neuroradiology, 12(50), p. 1049-1053
DOI: 10.1007/s00234-008-0459-6
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INTRODUCTION: Despite the high grade of standardisation of study protocols, there is still room for variability among the centres in specific treatment aspects. We evaluated the treatment risk in stent-protected angioplasty of the carotid versus endarterectomy (SPACE) associated with the specific patient enrolment rates of the centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysed endpoints were ipsilateral stroke or death [primary outcome event (pOE)] and any stroke or death [secondary outcome event (sOE)] until 30 days after treatment. A binary logistic regression analysis with random effects was performed separately for each treatment arm. The centres were secondarily categorised in three classes: I)>/=25 patients enrolled, II) ten to 24 patients and III)