Catastrophic delayed rupture of a traumatic aneurysm of the distal superior cerebellar artery in a child

Traumatic aneurysms of the superior cerebellar artery are rare, especially in children. We report a 3-year-old boy who had a catastrophic delayed rupture of a traumatic aneurysm arising from the superior vermian branch of the left superior cerebellar artery. The aneurysm was likely caused by arterial wall laceration following contusion against the free edge of the tentorium. The aneurysm and the superior vermian artery were successfully embolised endovascularly, but the child never recovered and died 3 days later. The pathogenesis, natural history and treatment options of these aneurysms are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.