[Clipping of aneurysm arising from the posterior communicating artery itself by contralateral craniotomy: a case report].

A case of aneurysm arising from the posterior communicating artery itself clipped by contralateral frontotemporal craniotomy (pterional approach) is presented. A 65-year-old female developed sudden severe headache and chest pain in January of 1993. Neurological examination on admission revealed consciousness disturbance such as stupor and nuchal stiffness. CT-scan showed marked subarachnoid hemorrhage. She also suffered from acute myocardial ischemia and cardiac failure. Cerebral angiograms after recovery from cardiac dysfunction demonstrated three saccular aneurysms arising from the dilated right posterior communicating artery itself, the junction of the left internal carotid artery and the posterior communicating artery, and the bifurcation of the left middle cerebral artery. The left IC-PC junction aneurysm was thought to be ruptured because of its size and contour, so left frontotemporal craniotomy was undertaken. By the left pterional approach, successful clipping of all three aneurysms involving the one arising from the contralateral posterior communicating artery was achieved. The aneurysm at the posterior communicating artery itself was found to arise from the non-branching site and to project inferiorly, thus the successful clipping through the prechiasmal cistern could be performed without compromising any small perforating arteries.