Delayed appearance of a traumatic intracranial aneurysm: Case report and review of the literature

• Published in: Journal of neurosurgery Vol. 94; no. 4; pp. 637 - 641
• Main Authors: CHEDID, Mokbel K, VENDER, John R, HARRISON, Steven J, MCDONNELL, Dennis E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Park Ridge, IL American Association of Neurological Surgeons 01-04-2001
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Angiography; Craniocerebral Trauma - complications; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Intracranial Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Intracranial Aneurysm - etiology; Intracranial Aneurysm - surgery; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Warfare; Wounds, Penetrating - complications; Internal carotid; Angiography; Penetrating injury; Injury; Aneurysm; Bibliographic survey; Cardiovascular disease; War; Arterial disease; Vascular disease; Evolution; Cerebrovascular disease; Contrast media; Human; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Late; Radiodiagnosis; Trauma; Artery; Cerebral disorder; Case study; Central nervous system disease; Medical imagery; Computerized axial tomography
• ISSN: 0022-3085; 1933-0693
• DOI: 10.3171/jns.2001.94.4.0637

Giant traumatic intracranial aneurysms are rare, and thus their incidence and clinical behavior are poorly understood. In most cases, traumatic aneurysms develop and become symptomatic within months following injury. The authors present the case of a 46-year-old war veteran, in whom a giant internal carotid artery aneurysm developed as a result of a penetrating cranial shrapnel injury sustained 25 years earlier during the Vietnam war. The aneurysm had not been evident on previous imaging studies. At surgery, a piece of shrapnel was found embedded in the dome of the aneurysm. The presentation, diagnosis, management, and treatment options related to this lesion are discussed.