Ruptured partially thrombosed anterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms: two case reports and review of literature

摘要

Aneurysms arising from the distal anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) are very rare. When the parent artery is an AICA?posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) variant, occlusion of the artery, even distal to the meatal loop, leads to a significant area of cerebellar infarction. We report two cases of ruptured partially thrombosed distal AICA aneurysms. In both cases, the parent artery was an AICA?PICA variant. The aneurysms were clipped in one case and trapped following occipital artery (OA)?AICA anastomosis in another case. It is important to keep the OA as a donor artery for revascularization in the treatment of the AICA?PICA variant aneurysms, especially when the absence of intra-aneurysmal thrombus is not comfirmed preoperatively.