title: Clinical Analysis of Traumatic Cerebral Pseudoaneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Traumatic pseudoaneurysms are rare but life-threatening lesions. We investigated the patients with these lesions to clarify their clinical characteristics and therapeutic strategies and we also reviewed the literatures on the treatment principles, possible options, and outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were a total of 8 patients who were treated with traumatic intracranial pseudoaneurysms between April 1980 and January 2009. Medical charts and the imaging studies were reviewed for analysis. The outcome was measured with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 6 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 8 patients were male and the mean age was 25 years old. Six of those were located at the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the other 2 was located at the M2 segment of middle cerebral artery. The causes of trauma were car accidents in 6, penetrating injury through the orbit in 1, and slip down injury in 1 patient. Massive epistaxis or hematemesis occurred in all patients with a pseudoaneurysm at the cavernous and ophthalmic segment of the ICA. All 6 patients of the cavernous and ophthalmic ICA group showed favorable outcome of mRS 0 to 1. The outcome of patients with middle cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm was mRS 2 to 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Upon prompt diagnosis and proper treatment planning, it is possible to achieve favorable outcome in these patients. Lesions located at the cavernous segment of the ICA favored endovascular treatment while those at the middle cerebral artery favored surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Stroke Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Stroke Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Stroke Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Whan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Stroke Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Kon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Huh
keywords: Aneurysm, false; Craniocerebral trauma; Intracranial aneurysm; Subarachnoid hemorrhage