A 67-year-old female with a medical history of hypertension and active smoking presented to the emergency department after experiencing a severe headache of sudden onset in the right side of her head. The patient had undergone elective screening colonoscopy the day prior. The morning following the colonoscopy procedure she woke up experiencing a right-sided headache associated with nausea, right-arm pain, right eye blurry vision, and slight fingertip numbness on her right side after which she decided to come to the hospital. She denied any recent trauma, fever, chills, or neck stiffness. On physical examination, she was neurologically intact.\nNoncontrast head CT demonstrated no acute intracranial pathology, specifically no evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. CT angiogram (CTA) demonstrated a 4.2 × 4.2 × 4.2 mm fusiform aneurysm arising off the superior cerebellar artery, approximately 1.5 cm distal to its origin off the basilar artery. The headache subsided the following day. Diagnostic cerebral angiogram was performed and redemonstrated the fusiform aneurysm, essentially unchanged in appearance when compared to the CTA []. The patient was started on dual antiplatelet agents consisting of clopidogrel 75 mg daily and aspirin 325 mg daily. One week later, the patient underwent successful Pipeline embolization of the aneurysm []. Briefly, a 6-Fr sheath was inserted into the right common femoral artery and a 6-Fr Benchmark guide catheter (penumbra) advanced over a diagnostic catheter and glide wire into the right vertebral artery. Through the guide catheter, a Phenom Plus distal access catheter was advanced over a Phenom microcatheter and Synchro-2 microwire into the proximal basilar artery. The microcatheter was then advanced over the microwire into the right superior cerebellar artery distal to the aneurysm. A 2.5 mm wide and 10 mm length Pipeline embolization device was then deployed along the fusiform aneurysm. Postdeployment angiogram demonstrated excellent apposition of the device to the parent vessel and evidence of some contrast stagnation within the aneurysm.\nThe patient was neurologically intact postoperatively and was discharged home on postoperative day 2. A cerebral angiogram performed 6 months later demonstrated resolution of the aneurysm with patency of the superior cerebellar artery []. The patient had no complaints and was neurologically intact.
A 70-year-old woman with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and a history of smoking presented with a peripheral fusiform SCA aneurysm found incidentally during a routine MRI investigation due to “black out” symptoms. The aneurysm was located 2 cm from the SCA origin, and measured 7 mm in maximal diameter [Figure and ]. After a thorough discussion of treatment options, the patient elected to undergo a combined subtemporal, presigmoidal approach. On the lateral aspect of the brainstem, the aneurysm was exposed along with the parent artery and two major efferent branches. One of these branches, the largest one, was superiorly directed and a double, smaller branch, presented inferiorly around the aneurysm fundus. It was necessary during microsurgical dissection to detach the aneurysm dome from the tentorial undersurface as well as from the 4th cranial nerve. Multiple clips were used to reconstruct the aneurysm without intra-operative complication. Intra-operative angiogram confirmed reconstruction of the fusiform aneurysm with preservation of distal flow [Figure –]. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was extubated and returned to the intensive care unit in stable condition. She was discharged home on the fourth post-operative day without new deficit.