title: Dementia resulting from expansion of basilar artery aneurysm: two case reports and a review of the literature.
abstract: Dementia places a large burden on the economy, with financial and emotional costs incurred by patients, caregivers and the health sector.
  
  
  
  We report the first published case series of giant basilar aneurysm leading to progressive cognitive and functional decline. We review the literature regarding giant aneurysms and their association with dementia and the possible underlying pathophysiological mechanism.
  
  
  
  This report highlights a number of therapeutic considerations when determining the best management strategy for these difficult lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. justinmurraymoore@gmail.com.|Division of Neurosurgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. justinmurraymoore@gmail.com.|Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 110 Francis Street, Suite 3B, Boston, MA, 02215-5501, USA. justinmurraymoore@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Justin M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Anoop
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandan
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ogilvy
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ajith J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Basilar; Coiling; Dementia; Endovascular; Giant aneurysm; Microsurgical clipping