Clinical features of aneurysms of the posterior cerebral artery: a 15-year experience with 21 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristic clinical behavior and develop guidelines for the clinical management of posterior cerebral artery aneurysms, we reviewed 21 cases treated during a 15-year period.


METHODS
Between 1988 and 2002, we treated 21 patients (10 male, 11 female; mean age, 49.8 yr) with posterior cerebral artery aneurysms at Kumamoto University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals. Data relating to the clinical, radiological, and surgical approaches were analyzed.


RESULTS
There were 20 saccular aneurysms, 6 of which were giant or large aneurysms, and 1 dissecting aneurysm. Of the 21 patients, 15 presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage; in 3 patients, an unruptured saccular aneurysm was found incidentally during an evaluation for other cerebral pathological conditions. Two patients presented with progressive homonymous hemianopsia because of the mass effect of the aneurysm, and 1 patient experienced the sudden onset of homonymous hemianopsia because of thrombosis of the aneurysm and afferent artery. Open or endovascular surgery was performed in 19 patients: 14 made a good recovery, 2 had a moderate disability because of angiospasm or infarction after aneurysm trapping, 1 had a severe disability because of angiospasm and cerebral contusion, and 2 died because of severe angiospasm. Of 2 conservatively treated patients, 1 made a good recovery but the other died as a result of rebleeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Posterior cerebral artery aneurysms have specific clinical characteristics compared with aneurysms located elsewhere. The aneurysmal site and size and the surgical technique did not significantly influence treatment outcomes.
Hamada
Jun-ichiro
J
Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. jhamada@kaiju.medic.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Morioka
Motohiro
M
Yano
Shigetoshi
S
Todaka
Tatemi
T
Kai
Yutaka
Y
Kuratsu
Jun-ichi
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D020769:Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome