Familial intracranial aneurysms: an analysis of 346 multiplex Finnish families.
OBJECTIVE
Genetic risk factors are considered important in the development, growth, and rupture of intracranial aneurysms; however, few have been identified. We analyzed intracranial aneurysm families with at least 2 affected persons and determined relationships between affected persons and assessed the inheritance patterns of aneurysms.


METHODS
Families with > or =2 members with verified diagnoses of intracranial aneurysms were recruited from Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland. Families with a diagnosis of other heritable disorders that have associated intracranial aneurysms, such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, were excluded.


RESULTS
We identified 346 Finnish multiplex families with 160 (46.2%) male and 186 (53.8%) female index cases. There were a total of 937 aneurysm cases, with an average of 2.7 cases per family. The majority of the families had only 2 affected relatives (n=206; 59.5%), although there were families with up to 6 (n=10), 7 (n=1), 8 (n=1), or 10 (n=2) affected persons. The affected relatives of the index cases included 108 sisters, 116 brothers, 105 parents, 30 children, 15 grandparents, 102 aunts or uncles, and 64 cousins. Of the 937 affected persons, 569 (60.7%) were alive and available for genetic analysis. Inheritance patterns consistent with autosomal recessiveness were observed in 198 (57.2%), autosomal dominance in 126 (36.4%), and autosomal dominance with incomplete penetrance in 19 (5.5%) of the families.


CONCLUSIONS
The collection is the most extensive published to date and extends previous observations of familial aggregation that are consistent with a major gene effect.
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E Canfield Ave, Detroit, Mich 48201, USA.
Shannon
S
Wills
Antti
A
Ronkainen
Monique
M
van der Voet
Helena
H
Kuivaniemi
Katariina
K
Helin
Eira
E
Leinonen
Juhana
J
Frösen
Mika
M
Niemela
Juha
J
Jääskeläinen
Juha
J
Hernesniemi
Gerard
G
Tromp
D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D019683:Penetrance; D012307:Risk Factors