title: Basilar artery occlusion caused by thrombosis of atherosclerotic fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Basilar artery occlusion caused by thrombosis of atherosclerotic fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery is rare. We present a case confirmed by 6 years of follow-up and autopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 63-year-old man suffered from brain stem infarction. Computed tomography and angiography showed a fusiform aneurysm on the proximal portion of the basilar artery. At the time of the third attack 5 years later, complete thrombosis of the aneurysm was found, and the proximal basilar artery was occluded. On autopsy, an atherosclerotic aneurysm 15 mm in diameter was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large atherosclerotic fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery often causes brain stem infarction and involves a risk of complete thrombosis of the aneurysm and subsequent parent artery occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yonezawa City Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography