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Surveillance Versus Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms of Fortuitous Discovery

Key facts

Who runs it
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Where
France1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Status
Not yet recruiting
People taking part
600 people, planned
Started
Nov 2026
Expected to end
May 2033
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Clinical and imaging surveillance
  • Endovascular or neurosurgical aneurysm treatment
Record updated
14 September 2026

Who can take part

Age
35 years to 75 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 23 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • UIA (Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms) located in an intradural position, with confirmed presence on CT (Computed Tomography) angiography or conventional cerebral angiography
  • Largest diameter between 2 mm and 7.9 mm inclusive in height or width (excluding oblique measurements)
  • Patients with one or more UIAs, provided that at least one aneurysm (index aneurysm) fulfills all inclusion criteria and is selected for study evaluation
  • Patients aged ≥ 35 years to 75 years
  • Patients must have signed informed consent
  • Patients must be affiliated with the French healthcare system

Who cannot take part

  • Aneurysms deemed inoperable by endovascular or surgical techniques, and patients with absolute contraindications to anaesthesia
  • Patients with a history of prior treatment for a cerebral aneurysm (ruptured or unruptured)
  • Patients with a disease reducing life expectancy to less than 3 years
  • History of unexplained SAH (Subarachnoid Haemorrhage)
  • Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), hereditary connective tissue disorders (HCTDs), or sickle cell disease (SCD)
  • Allergy to iodinated contrast material
  • Severe renal impairment (Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73m2)
  • Patients with a mRS score of ≥2
  • UIA discovered in the context of a recent thunderclap or exertional headache
  • Fusiform, mycotic, or intracavernous UIAs
  • Infundibulum of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA) and choroidal artery
  • Very distal saccular UIAs: A3/A4, M3/M4, P3/P4
  • UIA associated with brain AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation)
  • Patients presenting with multiple UIAs in whom at least one aneurysm measures ≥ 8 mm, in order to avoid inclusion of patients at higher overall rupture risk not compatible with the study population
  • Pregnancy or a desire for pregnancy during the study period
  • Current participation in another interventional research study
  • Patients likely to fail to attend follow-up visits or adhere to the protocol

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 35 and 75 years old?

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether a watchful waiting strategy with imaging surveillance is superior to immediate aneurysm treatment in adults with incidentally discovered unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs).

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The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does watchful waiting reduce the risk of clinically significant neurological disability compared with immediate treatment? * How do the two strategies compare in terms of aneurysm rupture, treatment-related complications, quality of life, anatomical outcomes, and healthcare costs?

Researchers will compare two management strategies:

* Immediate selective treatment of the aneurysm (endovascular or neurosurgical treatment according to standard practice). * Watchful waiting with regular clinical and imaging follow-up and no initial aneurysm treatment.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to either immediate treatment or watchful waiting. * Undergo routine clinical assessments and annual brain imaging for at least 42 months. * Complete quality-of-life questionnaires (EQ-5D-5L) at baseline and annually during follow-up. * Participate in annual telephone follow-up assessments, including evaluation of functional outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). * Undergo a blood or urine pregnancy test at enrollment if they are women of childbearing potential.

The study includes adults aged 35 years or older with incidentally discovered, non-infectious, intradural saccular UIAs measuring between 2.0 mm and 7.9 mm and no history of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The primary objective is to compare the impact of the two management strategies on neurological dependency during follow-up.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Watchful waiting strategyTreatment being tested

    Participants randomized to the watchful waiting strategy will receive no immediate preventive treatment of the unruptured intracranial aneurysm. This strategy consists of initial non-interventional management with standard clinical follow-up and annual brain imaging according to standard care. In the case of patients with multiple aneurysms, all aneurysms will be monitored under the same watchful waiting protocol. Selective treatment is not performed at baseline, but may be considered during follow-up if clinically indicated.

    Treatment: Clinical and imaging surveillance

  • Intervention strategyExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants undergo immediate preventive treatment of the incidentally discovered unruptured intracranial aneurysm using standard endovascular or neurosurgical techniques. Post-procedural follow-up is conducted according to standard care (clinical follow-up and annual brain imaging).

    Treatment: Endovascular or neurosurgical aneurysm treatment

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Surveillance Versus Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms of Fortuitous Discovery : a Randomized Controlled Trial STAF Trial
Fit questions
Built from NCT07817511, who can take part
Record updated
14 September 2026