[Intracranial aneurysm in a child--a case report and some considerations on etiology (author's transl)]

Abstract

An operative case of 12-year-old boy with a saccular aneurysm at the anterior communicating artery was reported. He had episodes of occasional headache during one year before admission. He was attacked by a severe headache associated with nausea and vomiting, and was admitted to Ooita Pref. Hospital under the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage four days later. On admission physical examinations revealed almost normal findings except for moderate dehydration and a blood pressure of 130/70 mmHg. Routine examinations (blood, serum including total cholesterol, urine, ECG and plain chest X-film) were normal. Neurologically there were lethalgic state, moderate nuchal rigidity and bilateral abducens paresis. Slightly hemorrhagic and xanthochromic CSF was demonstrated by a spinal puncture. An aneurysm was found at the anterior communicating artery on the right carotid arteriogram. The left carotid and the left vertebral arteriograms showed no pathologic findings. Operation via right fronto-temporal approach disclosed a berry aneurysm about 4 mm in diameter arising from the bifurcation of the right anterior cerebral and the anterior communicating artery. There was a plaque presumably an atherosclerotic change at the neck of the aneurysm. Clipping of the aneurysmal neck was done. The aneurysm was not visualized on the postoperative arteriogram, and the patient was discharged in good condition two weeks after the operation. It is true that this patient had a lesion which seemed to be an atherosclerotic plaque at the neck of the aneurysm macroscopically, but he did not have any evidence of generalized atherosclerosis or other metabolic disturbance. This plaque may be of special significance in etiological respect. In general, however, degenerative lesions like atherosclerosis occur predominantly in larger arteries than smaller arteries of the brain. Also the location of this aneurysm was at the anterior communicating artery which is reported to be implicated in anomalous vascularity on occasion. From these facts the authors considered combined congenital and acquired factors in the development of this aneurysm.