The surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms based on computer tomographic angiography alone--streamlining the acute mananagement of symptomatic aneurysms.
BACKGROUND
We aimed to prospectively assess the usefulness of computer tomographic angiography (CTA) in streamlining the management of symptomatic intracranial aneurysms in a tertiary neurosurgical unit, from admission to surgery.


METHODS
We performed a prospective evaluation over a 2-year period of all symptomatic intracranial aneurysms managed according to a standardized departmental protocol, to assess how CTA has impacted the decision-making process pertaining to the suitability of this investigation to proceed directly to surgery.


RESULTS
A total of 90 patients with intracranial aneurysms were treated over the 2-year period. 23 (26%) underwent endovascular occlusion while 67 (74%) patients underwent a surgical clipping procedure. In the surgical group, 22 (33%) patients had their aneurysms clipped based on CTA alone, while 45 (67%) required additional conventional angiography prior to surgery. Thus around one quarter of all patients treated for symptomatic intracranial aneurysms in our unit had their aneurysm secured surgically based solely on CTA.


CONCLUSIONS
CTA significantly influences the acute management of symptomatic intracranial aneurysms by streamlining the decision-making process during the early and acute management of these lesions.
Boet
R
R
Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Poon
W S
WS
Lam
J M K
JM
Yu
S C H
SC
D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed