Ruptured cerebral aneurysm in the early stage of life--a congenital origin?

We report the case of a large fusiform aneurysm of the anterior cerebral artery in a 3-month-old girl presenting with generalized seizures and complicated by a cardiorespiratory arrest needing resuscitation. The native cerebral CT scan revealed a diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage (Fischer III grade); CT angiography showed an aneurysm of the distal A1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Successful treatment was achieved through surgical trapping of the aneurysm and sacrifice of the distal A1 segment. A histological study of the aneurysmal wall revealed the absence of elastic fibers in an otherwise fibromuscular media and showed no signs of previous hemorrhage. Intracranial aneurysms of the ACA are very rare in the early stage of life and their pathogenesis is not clear. This case is of interest as the location and shape of the aneurysm, the absence of relevant familial and medical history, and the histopathological findings raise the hypothesis of a congenital origin. It further describes the value of CT angiography for studying aneurysms in the very young.