title: Giant pseudoaneurysm of the extracranial vertebral artery successfully treated using intraoperative balloon catheters.
abstract: Traumatic pseudoaneurysms of the extracranial vertebral artery rarely occur, because of its deeply protected anatomical location. Because the direct surgical approach has resulted in high morbidity and mortality rates, ligation of the vertebral artery has been adopted, but this can cause an ischemia in the vertebrobasilar system. We report the case of a 73-year-old woman with a huge pseudoaneurysm of the right vertebral artery that occurred after attempted placement of a cardiac pacemaker. The aneurysm was 7 x 7 x 5 cm in size and its neck was situated just distal to the right subclavian artery. Direct surgical repair of the injured vessel and removal of the aneurysm were successfully performed using balloon catheters placed intraoperatively in both the innominate artery and the right vertebral artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Shizuoka General Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanakita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suwa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iihara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D013348:Subclavian Artery; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging