Endovascular treatment of peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms are rare and difficult to treat surgically. We report the angiographic results and the clinical outcomes for eight patients treated by embolization for peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms.

METHODS

Between 1994 and 2001, eight patients with peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms were referred from the neurosurgery department for endovascular treatment. The patients consisted of four women and four men with a mean age of 43 years (range, 16-68 years). Seven patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. In one patient, the aneurysm was incidental. In five cases, selective embolization of the aneurysmal sac was performed using GDCs. Two large peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms and one small aneurysm with a wide neck were treated by parent vessel occlusion. Mean clinical and imaging follow-up duration was 18.5 months (range, 12-36 months).

RESULTS

Endovascular treatment resulted in five complete occlusions, two neck remnants, and one residual aneurysmal flow. Clinical evaluation showed that good or excellent recovery was achieved by all patients. Imaging follow-up revealed seven complete occlusions and one residual aneurysmal flow.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that the endovascular approach to treat peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms by selective embolization or parent vessel occlusion was feasible, safe, and effective. Imaging follow-up showed excellent anatomic results in accordance with clinical recovery.