Posterior circulation aneurysms: A 10-year institutional analysis

Background: Aneurysms are uncommon and challenging to manage. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was designed to report 53 patients who are treated from June 2002 to June 2011. Results: The mean age at presentation was 46.34 +/- 13.67 years (males, 26). Clinical features included subarachnoid hemorrhage (median Hunt and Hess Grade II, n = 42), cranial nerve palsies (9), hydrocephalus (5), and incidentally diagnosed (5). Locations included superior cerebellar artery (3), posterior cerebral artery (2), basilar trunk (4), vertebral (8), anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) (5), posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) (13), vertebrobasilar junction (6), and basilar top (13). Management included both endovascular intervention (26) and surgery (19), and both (2). Five patients presented as poor grade and underwent only extraventricular drain placement while one patient had thrombosed aneurysm and was managed conservatively. Mortality was 26.4% (n = 14) and morbidity included vasospasm (10), meningitis (2), pseudomeningocele (2), pneumonitis (2), and myocardial infarction (1). Conclusion: Posterior circulation aneurysms are highly challenging. They require the multimodality approach, and decision regarding surgery or embolization has to be individualized.