Aneurysm, Intracranial

Key Features

Essentials of Diagnosis

• Subarachnoid hemorrhage or focal deficit

• Abnormal imaging studies

General Considerations

• Most aneurysms are located

  • On the anterior part of the circle of Willis, particularly on the anterior or posterior communicating arteries

  • At the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery

  • At the bifurcation of the internal carotid artery

• Saccular aneurysms ("berry" aneurysms)

  • Occur at arterial bifurcations

  • Are frequently multiple (20% of cases)

  • Are usually asymptomatic

  • Are associated with polycystic kidney disease, moyamoya disease, familial aldosteronism type 1, and coarctation of the aorta

• Mycotic aneurysms resulting from septic embolism occur in more distal vessels and often at the cortical surface

Demographics

• Risk factors for aneurysm formation include cigarette smoking, hypertension, and female sex

Clinical Findings

Symptoms and Signs

• May cause a focal neurologic deficit by compressing adjacent structures

• Most are asymptomatic or produce only nonspecific symptoms until they rupture, causing a subarachnoid hemorrhage (see Subarachnoid Hemorrhage)

• "Warning leaks" of a small amount of blood from the aneurysm sometimes precede the major hemorrhage by a few hours or days, leading to headaches, nausea, and neck stiffness

• Focal neurologic signs may be absent in subarachnoid hemorrhage and secondary to a focal hematoma or ischemia in the territory of the vessel with the ruptured aneurysm

• Focal arterial spasm in the area of the ruptured aneurysm may occur after 4–14 days, causing hemiplegia or other focal deficits

• Cause of vasospasm is unknown and likely multifactorial

• Vasospasm may lead to significant cerebral ischemia or infarction and increase in intracranial pressure

• Subacute hydrocephalus due to interference with the flow of cerebrospinal fluid may occur after 2 or more weeks; leads to a delayed clinical deterioration and is relieved by shunting

Differential Diagnosis

• Meningitis or meningoencephalitis

• Ischemic stroke

• Space-occupying lesion, eg, brain tumor

• Subdural hemorrhage

• Epidural hemorrhage

• Migraine

Diagnosis

Imaging Studies

• Digital subtraction angiography (bilateral carotid and vertebral studies)

  • Definitive evaluation

  • Generally indicates the size and site of the lesion

  • Sometimes reveals multiple aneurysms

  • May show arterial spasm if rupture has occurred

• Visualization by CT or MR angiography

  • Not usually adequate if operative treatment is under consideration because lesions may be multiple and small lesions are sometimes missed

  • Can be used to screen patients who have two or more first-degree relatives with intracranial aneurysms

Treatment

Medications

• Medical management as outlined for subarachnoid hemorrhage is continued for about 6 weeks and followed by gradual mobilization

Surgery

• Definitive treatment requires surgery and clipping of the aneurysm base, or endovascular treatment by ...