Cerebral aneurysms in children: are we talking about a single pathological entity?

Childs Nerv Syst. 2010 Oct;26(10):1329-35. doi: 10.1007/s00381-010-1205-z. Epub 2010 Jul 13.

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this article is to highlight the fact that cerebral aneurysms in children are heterogeneous unlike in the adult population.

Material and methods: This is a retrospective review of 17 children with intracranial aneurysms who were managed at a single institution from 2004 to 2009.

Results: The median age was 12 years (range 10 months-17 years). Sixty-five percent of the aneurysms were saccular and 24% were fusiform. There was one infectious and one distal lenticulostriate aneurysm. Patients with saccular aneurysms were predominantly male and presented more commonly with intracranial hemorrhage (91%). The fusiform aneurysms were dissecting in nature or chronic with intramural thrombus and mass effect. The treatment was dependent upon the type and location of the aneurysm.

Conclusion: Pedriatic aneurysms are a heterogeneous group of intracranial arterial diseases with different etiologies, diverse morphology, and dissimilar clinical manifestations.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Aneurysm, Infected / complications
  • Aneurysm, Infected / pathology*
  • Aortic Dissection / complications
  • Aortic Dissection / pathology*
  • Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / complications
  • Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / pathology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / complications
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / pathology*
  • Intracranial Thrombosis / etiology
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / etiology