title: Fatal rupture of a thrombosed giant basilar artery aneurysm.
abstract: The case of a patient who died from rupture of an aneurysm that had previously been demonstrated to be essentially completely thrombosed is presented. The patient initially presented with sudden clinical deterioration as a result of brainstem compression. A computed tomographic scan showed a giant basilar aneurysm with recent thrombus filling the lumen. Angiography showed only a small irregularity at the top of the basilar artery which may have represented a tiny remnant of the aneurysmal neck. The patient was treated conservatively, and over the next few weeks he improved clinically. Four months later the aneurysm ruptured fatally.
mesh_terms: D001488:Basilar Artery; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed