A 56-year-old woman began to suffer from an occipital headache for 7 days before admission to our hospital, and dizziness appeared 5 days later. On admission, she complained of dizziness and a mild occipital headache. She showed nystagmus and the right nose-finger-nose test was positive. In peripheral blood cell counts and biochemical studies, elevations in white blood cells (9,200/μl) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (215 mg/dl) were observed. Coagulation studies and immunological studies were normal. Head computed tomography (CT) showed low-density areas in the right cerebellar hemisphere, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) displayed high-intensity signal areas in the cerebellar vermis and the right cerebellar hemisphere (Fig. ). In addition, a high-intensity signal area was observed just adjacent to the right VA on T1-VISTA (Fig. ), whereas no such high intensity was detected on conventional T1 image. Conventional MRA did not depict the right PICA or any abnormal findings of the right VA (Fig. ). Echocardiography and 24-hour electrocardiography showed no findings suggestive of cardioembolic causes. According to these findings, ischemic stroke of the cerebellum induced by the right PICA-D was diagnosed, and after confirming that she had neither hypertension nor aneurysmal formation, combined therapy with clopidogrel and unfractionated heparin administration was started. T1-VISTA showed a slight expansion of the high-intensity area at 3 days after admission, but still no lesions on T1 images. At 9 days after admission, cerebral angiography revealed the “pearl and string sign” at the proximal portion of the right PICA (Fig. ). At 12 days after admission, the patient was discharged with single antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel). On T1 images, a pale high-intensity area was documented at the dissected lesion at 19 days after admission. Thereafter, the right PICA was gradually depicted on MRA and completely visualized at 5 months after the onset. In parallel with that, the high-intensity signal area on T1-VISTA gradually decreased in size and disappeared by 5 months after the onset (Fig. ). Clopidogrel administration was then stopped.
A 50-year-old lady, who had a history of hypertension, presented with severe headache and ataxia. CT scan done at admission showed acute right cerebellar hematoma []. DSA done subsequently revealed fusiform aneurysm of the cisternal segment of the SCA []. Endovascular treatment was done under general anesthesia with inside out coiling of the aneurysm with platinum coils []. Standard heparin protocol was followed and an activated clotting time greater than 250 s was maintained during the procedure. 5F Envoy (cordis) guiding catheter was placed in the distal vertebral artery. A combination of echelon-10 micro-catheter (ev3) and transcend 0.014 micro-wire (Stryker) were used to access the aneurysms and multiple axiom (ev3) coils were used to occlude the aneurysm. Post-coiling angiogram showed complete exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation. The post-operative period was uneventful. The patient's neurological examination done after 1 month was completely normal. Control angiogram done at the end of 1 year showed stable occlusion with no re-canalization of the aneurysm [].