Progressive growth of a giant dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery aneurysm after complete Hunterian occlusion of the posterior circulation: Case report

Document Type

Article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery aneurysms are often extremely difficult, if not impossible, to treat with microneurosurgical clip reconstruction. As such, a Hunterian strategy via vertebral or basilar artery sacrifice is often used. We have encountered a patient in whom deliberate bilateral vertebral artery sacrifice was insufficient to avoid progressive expansion of a giant dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery aneurysm. On the basis of a review of the literature, we are unaware of another reported case. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old man presented with signs and symptoms of brainstem compression from a large fusiform aneurysm involving the distal dominant vertebral and proximal basilar arteries. Results of angiographic evaluation were highly characteristic of underlying dolichoectasia. INTERVENTION: The patient was treated initially with staged bilateral vertebral artery occlusion and adjunctive posterior circulation revascularization. After this therapy failed, he underwent a trapping procedure and aneurysm deflation. CONCLUSION: Unclippable aneurysms of the vertebrobasilar system are formidable lesions. They are not uniformly treatable by direct surgical reconstruction, and their growth is not consistently stabilized by the implementation of a complete Hunterian strategy. Future developments related to the use of endovascular stent technology may offer a more successful treatment approach for patients with these complex cerebrovascular lesions.

Publication Date

11-1-2004

Publication Title

Neurosurgery

ISSN

0148396X

Volume

55

Issue

5

First Page

1223

PubMed ID

15791739

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1227/01.NEU.0000140987.71791.DF

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS