ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for basilar tip aneurysms associated with moyamoya disease. Methods Seven patients with basilar tip aneurysms associated with moyamoya disease were treated by endovascular embolization in our department between Oct. 2006 and Jul. 2013. Two patients were treated by pure coiling and the others were treated by stent-assisted coiling. The immediate angiographic result was evaluated by Raymond scale. Postoperative angiographic and clinical follow-ups were obtained in all the 7 cases, and the clinical outcomes were evaluated by the modified Rankin score (mRS). Results All the 7 patients successfully received endovascular embolization without procedure-related complications. Immediate angiographic results showed complete occlusion in 3 cases, neck residual in 2, and partial occlusion in 2. Postoperative angiographic follow-ups were obtained for a mean of (10. 4 ± 3. 5) months, with complete occlusion found in 6 patients and stable in 1 patient. No progressive thrombosis or in-stent occlusion were detected by follow-up angiograms in the stent group. Clinical follow-ups were obtained for a mean of (21. 1 ± 15. 8) months and all the patients reported good outcomes (mRS 0-2). Conclusion Our data suggest that endovascular embolization is a safe and efficient treatment for basilar tip aneurysms associated with moyamoya disease. Stent-assistance might be a safe and effective option for the large or wide-necked aneurysms, though the long-term safety still remains to be confirmed.
ABSTRACT
We report here on a rare case of a ruptured basilar tip aneurysm that was successfully treated with coil embolization in the bilateral cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions with abnormal vascular networks from the posterior circulation. A 43-year old man with a familial history of moyamoya disease presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Digital subtraction angiography demonstrated complete occlusion of the bilateral ICAs at the proximal portion and a ruptured aneurysm at the basilar artery bifurcation. Each meningeal artery supplied the anterior cranial base, but most of both hemispheres were supplied with blood from the basilar artery and the posterior cerebral arteries through a large number of collateral vessels to the ICA bifurcation as well as the anterior cerebral and middle cerebral arteries. The perfusion computed tomography (CT) scans with acetazolamide (ACZ) injection revealed no reduction of cerebral blood flow and normal cerebrovascular reactivity to ACZ. An abdominal CT aortogram showed no other extracranial vessel abnormalities. A ruptured basilar tip aneurysm was successfully treated with coil embolization without complications. Endovascular embolization may be a good treatment option with excellent safety for a ruptured basilar tip aneurysm that accompanies proximal ICA occlusion with vulnerable collateral flow.