Objective: We report a case of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that occurred at 30 weeks of pregnancy and was treated by coil embolization in a woman with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aplasia.
Case presentation: A 40-year-old woman who was 30 weeks pregnant presented to the emergency department with a half-day history of headache and nausea. She had sudden onset headache and her symptom did not improve. There was no neurological deficit. Head CT at the referring hospital revealed SAH. The fetal state was stable. There was no sign of threatened premature delivery. Head MRA revealed aplasia of the left MCA and aneurysm with a daughter sac at the A1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Head DSA revealed that the A1 aneurysm with a daughter sac arose from the anomalous collateral artery leading to a plexiform network. The diagnosis was SAH due to rupture of an A1 aneurysm. Performance of less invasive coil embolization seemed to be possible and was carried out under general anesthesia. The operation was completed after placing one coil and confirming that most of the aneurysmal dome was embolized, including the daughter sac. There was no cerebral vasospasm and no obvious neurological deficit. Antiplatelet drugs were only required for 10 days after the operation. Pregnancy was stable and the patient delivered a baby by cesarean section at 38 weeks of pregnancy.
Conclusion: A rare case of aneurysmal SAH in a pregnant woman with MCA aplasia was successfully treated by endovascular surgery.
Keywords: endovascular treatment; middle cerebral artery aplasia; pregnancy; rete middle cerebral artery; subarachnoid hemorrhage.
©2022 The Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy.