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Updated: Sep 16, 2026
Microsurgical Clip Obliteration of Middle Cerebral Aneurysm Using Intraoperative Flow Assessment
Published on: September 25, 2009
Use of spiral computerized tomography angiography in patients with cerebral aneurysm. Our experience
R Caruso1, C Colonnese, A Elefante
1Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Neuromed, Molise, Italy. riccaruso@tin.it
Insights
Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a valuable tool for diagnosing cerebral aneurysms and aiding surgical planning. This non-invasive imaging technique improves surgical programming for subarachnoid hemorrhage treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neuroradiology
- Vascular Imaging
Background:
- Cerebral aneurysms pose significant risks, often presenting as subarachnoid hemorrhages.
- Accurate diagnosis and surgical planning are critical for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of CT angiography (CTA) in diagnosing cerebral aneurysms.
- To assess CTA's role in surgical treatment planning for aneurysms.
Main Methods:
- CT angiography (CTA) was performed on 31 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhages.
- Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used when CTA was inconclusive.
- CTA data was processed using 3D techniques in collaboration with neuro-radiologists and neuro-surgeons.
Main Results:
- CTA successfully diagnosed aneurysms in 27 out of 31 patients.
- CTA provided sufficient information for surgical clipping in 17 of 18 operated cases.
- 3D reconstructions from CTA improved surgical planning and visualization.
Conclusions:
- CTA is a reliable, non-invasive, and preferred diagnostic test for subarachnoid hemorrhages.
- CTA significantly aids in surgical treatment planning for cerebral aneurysms.
- Traditional angiography remains necessary in select cases where CTA is inconclusive.
Background:
The purpose is to highlight the usefulness of CT angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms.
Methods:
Thirty-one patients with subarachnoid haemorrhages were subjected to CT angiography and in those cases where this test did not reveal the aneurysm or did not supply sufficient information relating to it, subsequently a digital subtraction angiography was also performed. Each aneurysm-positive CTA was re-processed using the 3-D techniques, with the neuro-radiologist and the neuro-surgeon working in close co-operation.
Results:
In 27 cases the CTA diagnosed an aneurysm, and in the 4 cases where no vascular malformations were revealed, also the traditional angiography did not show any pathology. In 17 out of 18 cases operated on in order to clip the aneurysm, the CTA supplied all the information needed for the surgery and it was possibile to reconstruct images similar to those of the surgical field. This led to improvement in the programming of the surgical intervention; in 1 case only was it also necessary to perform the DSA before the operation.
Conclusions:
CT angiography, because it is non-invasive, easy to perform, diagnostically reliable, and because the 3-D re-constructions offer the chance to create images of the possible operating field, is the first-choice test to be adopted in the treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhages, even though in some cases the use of the traditional angiography is still necessary and should be carried out whenever the CTA does not reveal vascular malformations.
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