Strategies for Treatment of Multiple Brain Aneurysms Without Intraoperative Adjuncts

World Neurosurg. 2022 Oct:166:54-59. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.07.050. Epub 2022 Jul 19.

Abstract

Background: Although fairly rare, multiple brain aneurysms are well known to occur in certain conditions such as arteriovenous malformations, coarctation of the aorta, renal artery stenosis, adult type 3 polycystic kidney disease, as well as connective tissue disorders (such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and fibromuscular dysplasia). Increased incidence of complications of surgery in such situations is expected to be more likely than in surgery for a single aneurysm, particularly in the absence of intraoperative guidance with adjuncts.

Methods: We report a case of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm, a right middle cerebral artery aneurysm, and a right pericallosal aneurysm in a 70-year-old man. All 3 aneurysms were clipped through a single-stage approach without the aid of any adjuncts such as micro-Doppler ultrasonography, indocyanine green videoangiography, or intraoperative digital subtraction angiography. We carried out a literature review for past publications on similar reports.

Results: The patient made a complete postoperative recovery and sustained no neurologic deficits. Out of 388 publications from the literature search, only 1 case report described clipping of 2 tandem aneurysms in a 60-year-old woman without mentioning any intraoperative adjuncts.

Conclusions: This case illustrates that multiple aneurysms can actually be safely operated with adequate planning in the absence of these adjuncts, especially in resource-poor regions. This is particularly crucial in Africa and most low-and-middle-income countries, where such facilities and equipment are not common.

Keywords: Lack of intraoperative neurovascular adjuncts; Multiple brain aneurysms; Single access; Successful clipping.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Angiography, Digital Subtraction
  • Cerebral Angiography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indocyanine Green
  • Intracranial Aneurysm* / diagnostic imaging
  • Intracranial Aneurysm* / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Surgical Instruments

Substances

  • Indocyanine Green