Pediatric intracranial aneurysms-clinical characteristics and outcome of surgical treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Intracranial aneurysms are rare in children and have different epidemiological, clinical, and morphological characteristics and outcome from those in adults.


METHODS
We analyzed demographic, clinical, radiologic features, treatment, and outcome in 55 patients <18 years of age, treated from Jan 1995 through December 2005.


RESULTS
Intracranial aneurysms in children below 18 years constituted 4% of all intracranial aneurysms. Internal Carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation was the commonest location. About half of the aneurysms were complex. Three-fourth of the patients required surgical treatment. Two patients died, constituting 5% mortality. Two patients (5%) had poor outcome, whereas the majority (90%) had a favorable outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric aneurysms have male predominance, higher incidence of clinical features of mass effect or seizures, high incidence of large, traumatic/mycotic aneurysms, associated illnesses and ICH/IVH and hydrocephalus, better Hunt and Hess grades at presentation, ICA bifurcation as the commonest site, and better outcome than their adult counterparts.
Sharma
B S
BS
Department of Neurosurgery, Neurosciences Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. drsharmabs@yahoo.com
Sinha
Sumit
S
Mehta
V S
VS
Suri
A
A
Gupta
Aditya
A
Mahapatra
A K
AK
D000293:Adolescent; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome