Spontaneous thrombosis of an unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. An unusual cause of ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Stroke caused by spontaneous thrombosis of an unruptured intracranial aneurysm is a rare event.


METHODS
A 66-year-old woman experienced a transient ischemic attack and cerebral infarctions due to spontaneous thrombosis of an unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Extension of thrombus into both anterior cerebral arteries and the left middle cerebral artery, resulting in ischemic infarction in all three vascular territories, was diagnosed by CT scanning, MRI, and cerebral angiography and confirmed at autopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
This case illustrates a rare complication of an unruptured saccular aneurysm with neuroimaging and pathological correlation. Morphological and hemodynamic factors that may have precipitated aneurysm thrombosis are discussed with reference to experimental models.
Brownlee
R D
RD
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Foothills Hospital, Alberta, Canada.
Tranmer
B I
BI
Sevick
R J
RJ
Karmy
G
G
Curry
B J
BJ
D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed