title: A cause of atypical intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage: posterior spinal artery aneurysms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 1 % of cases of intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are caused by spinal vascular pathologies. Among them, isolated spinal artery aneurysms are uncommon and a limited number of cases have been reported in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a report of two cases and review of the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both patients presented with an atypical intracranial SAH and were also found to have spinal SAH caused by a ruptured posterior spinal aneurysm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isolated spinal artery aneurysms represent a rare cause of intracranial SAH. Symptoms such as back pain and lower-extremity weakness can be clues to the adequate diagnosis. Surgical or endovascular treatment should be pursued in all patients, as the risk of rebleeding is non-negligible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University and Civil Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ronchetti
authors.forename: Saul F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Morales-Valero
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzino
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*