Vascular Variations Associated with Intracranial Aneurysms.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the vascular variations in patients with intracranial aneurysm in circle of Willis.


METHODS
We used the data on 128 consecutive intracranial aneurysm cases. Cerebral angiography images were analyzed retrospectively. Arteries were grouped as anterior cerebral arterial system (ACS), posterior cerebral arterial system (PCS) and middle cerebral arterial system (MCS) for grouping vascular variations. Lateralization, being single/multiple, gender; and also any connection with accompanying aneurysms" number, localization, dimension, whether bleeding/incidental aneurysm has been inspected.


RESULTS
Variations were demonstrated in 57.8% of the cases. The most common variation was A1 variation (34.4%). The rate of variations was 36.7%, 24.2% and 10.2% respectively in ACS, PCS and MCS. MCS variations were significantly higher in males. Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm observance rates were significantly higher and posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm and middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm observance rates were significantly lower when compared to "no ACS variation detected" cases. In "PCS variation detected" cases, PCoA aneurysm observance rates and coexistence of multiple variations were significantly higher.


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of vascular variations in patients with aneurysms was 57.8%. Arterial hypoplasia and aplasia were the most common variations. ACS was the most common region that variations were located in; they were mostly detected on the right side. Coexistence of ACoA aneurysm was higher than PCoA and MCA aneurysms. In the PCS variations group, PCoA aneurysms were the most common aneurysms that accompanying the variation and multiple variations were more common than in the other two groups. The variations in MCS were most common in males.
Haydarpasa Numune Teaching and Research Hospital, Neurosurgery Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.
Metin
M
Orakdogen
Selin Tural
ST
Emon
Hakan
H
Somay
Taner
T
Engin
Merih
M
Is
Tayfun
T
Hakan
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020771:Anterior Cerebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020769:Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics