Salvage surgical treatment for failed endovascular procedure of a blood blister-like aneurysm

J Cerebrovasc Endovasc Neurosurg. 2012 Jun;14(2):99-103. doi: 10.7461/jcen.2012.14.2.99. Epub 2012 Jun 30.

Abstract

The blood blister-like aneurysm (BBA) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare but clinically important cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which accounts for 0.5% of incidences of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. BBA is a thin-walled, broad-based aneurysm that lacks an identifiable neck and is one of the most difficult lesions to treat. In this paper, a case is presented of a 57-year-old woman with SAH. Her cerebral angiography demonstrated a small BBA on the dorsal wall of her right ICA. Endovascular treatment that consisted of a stent-within-a-stent was attempted, but the replacement of the second stent failed, and the aneurysm became bigger. Surgery was performed by clipping the BBA with a Sundt slim-line encircling graft clip. The patient completely recovered with no complications. This treatment may be a salvageable option for BBA, especially when endovascular treatment has failed.

Keywords: Blood-blister like aneurysm; Encircling graft clip; Endovascular stent; Internal carotid artery; Subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Publication types

  • Case Reports