Aneurysms in twig-like middle cerebral artery.
BACKGROUND
We report a vascular abnormality of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) that has not been described in the literature before.


METHODS
Two patients (1 male and 1 female; age 44 and 67 years, respectively) were found to have a vascular abnormality in which the main trunk of the MCA had a twig-like form. Both patients presented with intracranial hemorrhage.


RESULTS
In these 2 patients, the abnormality was seen before the genu of the MCA. They had an intracranial hemorrhage due to an associated aneurysm inside the twigs. The twig appeared to be a network between the bifurcation of internal carotid artery and insular segment of MCA, and it was different from the collateral circulation due to acquired occlusion or moyamoya disease.


CONCLUSIONS
This new type of vascular lesion of the MCA is not benign. It appears to be associated with the occurrence of an aneurysm, an important clinical aspect.
Liu
Hon-Man
HM
Department of Radiology, Division of Neurosurgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. hml@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
Lai
Dar-Ming
DM
Tu
Yong-Kwang
YK
Wang
Yao-Hung
YH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome