Posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms associated with posterior fossa arteriovenous malformation (original) (raw)

Ruptured, dissecting posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms: endovascular treatment without parent vessel occlusion

Neuroradiology, 2008

Introduction Treatment of a dissecting aneurysm of the medullary segments of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) usually entails trapping of the diseased arterial segment with possible sacrifice of brainstem perforators. The goal of the work was to review our experience with selective coiling of ruptured, dissecting aneurysms of the anterolateral segments of the PICA without parent vessel occlusion. Methods Eleven consecutive patients (9 women, 2 men, mean age 47.2 years) were retrospectively reviewed from a prospectively acquired neuroradiological database. On admission three patients had Hunt and Hess (HH) grade I, three HH grade II, two HH grade III, and one HH grade IV. Outcome was evaluated according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score. Follow-up (mean:19.4 months) consisted of magnetic resonance angiography and/or digital subtraction angiography in ten patients. Results Ten patients had mRS score 0 and one mRS score 2. No treatment failure occurred. The aneurysm was completely occluded in seven patients, a neck residue was present in two, and a loose coil mesh was present in two. Recurrence occurred in three patients, and all were successfully retreated for a total of 13 procedures. Procedure-related complications were all without clinical consequences and included a coil perforation in one procedure and stagnant filling of the parent vessel in six procedures. PICA occlusion did not occur in any patient. Conclusion Coiling of ruptured, isolated dissecting aneurysms of the PICA without parent vessel occlusion is feasible, relatively safe and effective in preventing early/medium-term rebleeding. A strict angiographic follow-up program is, however, necessary to detect recurrence.

Management of Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms: Endovascular Treatment and Clinical Outcome

American Journal of Neuroradiology, 2010

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: AICA aneurysms are rare and a challenge to treat surgically. We present our experience of the angiographic results and the clinical outcomes for 9 AICA aneurysms treated by EVT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1997 and 2009, EVT was attempted for 9 AICA aneurysms. Six patients presented with SAH, and 3 aneurysms were found incidentally. The location of the aneurysms was the proximal AICA in 7 and the distal AICA in 2. Five aneurysms originated from an AICA-PICA variant. Clinical outcomes and procedural complications were evaluated, and angiography was performed 6, 12, and 24 months after embolization to confirm recanalization of the coiled aneurysm. RESULTS: EVT was technically successful in 7 patients (78%). Surgical trapping was performed in 1 patient after failure of EVT, and another aneurysm occluded spontaneously, along with the parent artery during EVT. In 7 patients, the AICAs had good patency on postoperative angiography. Stentassisted coiling was performed in 3 patients. Follow-up angiographies were performed in 7 patients and showed no evidence of recanalization or progressive occlusion with further thrombosis except in 1 patient. There was no evidence of aneurysm rupture during the follow-up period, and 8 patients were able to perform all usual activities (mRS score, 0-1). CONCLUSIONS: EVT may provide a feasible and safe option as an alternative, though a microsurgical option is initially considered for the management of AICA aneurysms. Further follow-up and more experience are also necessary. ABBREVIATIONS: AICA ϭ anterior inferior cerebellar artery; AVM ϭ arteriovenous malformation; BA ϭ basilar artery; CO ϭ complete occlusion; Cx ϭ procedural complication; EVD ϭ external ventricular drainage; EVT ϭ endovascular therapy; F/U ϭ follow-up period; HH ϭ Hunt and Hess scale; IO ϭ incomplete occlusion; mRS ϭ modified Rankin Scale; NA ϭ not available; O ϭ occlusion; P ϭ preservation; PICA ϭ posterior inferior cerebellar artery; SAH ϭ subarachnoid hemorrhage; TIA ϭ transient ischemic accident; Tx ϭ treatment; VA ϭ vertebral artery

Treatment and Outcomes among 102 Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms: A Comparison of Endovascular and Microsurgical Clip Ligation

World neurosurgery, 2014

The vicinity of brainstem and cranial nerves as well as the limited operative working space make clip ligation of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms challenging. The small caliber of the PICA and the broad neck often associated with these aneurysms also create challenges in preserving this artery during treatment. There is little data comparing the 2 treatment approaches for aneurysms in this location. To assess treatment outcomes for PICA aneurysms based on mode of management and anatomical location. A prospectively maintained database was queried for PICA aneurysms treated from 2000 through 2012. Patients were categorized based on their aneurysm's anatomical location, presentation status, treatment modality, and subsequent complications. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. 113 PICA aneurysms were identified; 11 did not undergo treatment. Of the remaining 102 aneurysms, 77% were ruptured and 64% were treated microsur...

Re-Growth of a Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm after Resection of the Associated Posterior Fossa Arteriovenous Malformation

Interventional Neuroradiology, 2014

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)-related aneurysms have been described in the literature. Their behavior varies based on their location in relation to and the activity of the shunting through the index AVM. The intuitive expectation supported by numerous reports is that these aneurysms should regress if the AVM is excluded from the circulation. We describe a case of 46-year-old man who presented with a posterior fossa AVM with an aneurysm on the posterior inferior cerebellar artery feeding the AVM. The nidus of the AVM was successfully excluded by glue embolization, with initial regression of the PICA aneurysm on serial imaging. Five years after the endovascular treatment, the aneurysm showed significant re-growth necessitating endovascular coiling. This case presents the re-growth of an AVM-related aneurysm and emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up of such aneurysms even if the AVM is completely excluded.

Seventy Aneurysms of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery: Anatomical Features and Value of Computed Tomography Angiography in Microneurosurgery

World Neurosurgery, 2014

OBJECTIVE: Aneurysms at the junction of the vertebral artery (VA) and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are relatively rare. Their treatment is challenged by the diverse anatomy of the VA and PICA, close involvement of the PICA in the aneurysm neck, and scant space deep in the posterior fossa next to the cranial nerves, brain stem, and obstructing structures of the skull base. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) visualizes bony structures in addition to the vasculature, and being non-invasive and easily available, it can serve for planning microsurgical treatment. We analyzed the anatomy of PICA aneurysms imaged by CTA to promote planning the treatment.

Management of posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms: What factors play the most important role in outcome?

Acta neurochirurgica, 2017

Background Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms are an uncommon, heterogeneous group of aneurysms with poorer clinical outcomes compared to other intracranial aneurysms. We performed a multicenter retrospective study to analyze the outcome in a large series of patients treated with modern microsurgical and endovascular techniques. Methods Records of 94 patients treated for PICA aneurysms between 2000 and 2015 at three large tertiary referral centers were retrospectively reviewed. Results Eighty-three patients met inclusion criteria and of these, two died before treatment, leaving 81 treated patients (43 underwent endovascular and 38 surgical treatment). Among patients treated endovascularly, procedure-related complications occurred in four cases (11.8%). Six patients (19.4%) suffered from complications directly associated with surgery. Recurrences occurred in 0% of surgical and in 16.3% of endovascularly treated patients, requiring treatment. Patients with unruptured asymptomatic aneurysms had good outcomes. In the group of 67 ruptured aneurysms, 16 endovascularly (47.1%) and 15 surgically (48.4%) treated patients had modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores of 3-6. Of patients in poor neurological condition (Hunt & Hess (H&H) IV-V at admission), 84.6% suffered a poor clinical outcome. Fifty percent of patients with distal and 31.9% patients with proximal ruptured PICA aneurysms suffered a poor neurological outcome. Conclusions This study of PICA aneurysms demonstrates that results of both treatment modalities are comparable. However, endovascular treatment is associated with higher risks of recurrence, requiring additional treatment. Outcomes were mostly impacted by clinical state at admission.