Introduction and importance: Hereby we describe an instructive patient with cerebellar infarction and a growing aneurysm at the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), which was not a true cause of infarction.
Case presentation: A 50-year-old female presented with dizziness and posterior neck pain at our hospital (Mitaka city, Tokyo, Japan). Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images showed cerebellar infarction in the left PICA territory and MR angiography study showed an aneurysm at the origin of the left PICA, which grew in 2 weeks. Since we considered cerebellar infarction was caused by thrombosis from the aneurysm, trapping of the PICA and occipital artery-PICA bypass was performed to prevent recurrent cerebellar infarction and rupture of the aneurysm by neurosurgeons. During the operation, dissection was observed at the distal PICA, which was diagnosed to be the true cause of cerebellar infarction. By the follow-up for 12 months at an outpatient, there was no recurrence of cerebral infarction.
Clinical discussion: A specimen of the artery showing the findings of dissection was not obtained, and the pathological diagnosis could not be made. It would be controversial whether a surgical procedure presented here was the most optimal.
Conclusion: This is a first reported case of growing aneurysms and cerebral infarction due to arterial dissection. Even if cerebral infarction is accompanied by growing aneurysms, arterial dissection should be included in the differential diagnoses of a cause of infarction. Posterior cervical pain can be a clue for early appropriate diagnosis in such a case.
Keywords: Arterial dissection; Bypass surgery; Cerebellar infraction; Diagnostic pitfall; Etiology; Growing aneurysm.
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