Endovascular treatment of basilar tip aneurysms associated with moyamoya disease

We report the efficacy and safety of endovascular treatment of basilar tip aneurysms (BTA) in five patients with moyamoya disease. The patients underwent intra-aneurysmal embolisation with detachable platinum coils. Three BTA presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH); the other two were asymptomatic. In four cases, one embolisation procedure produced >95% angiographic obliteration of the aneurysm. In the other patient, 80-90% obliteration was achieved initially, but due to growth of the residual aneurysm, the procedure was repeated 7 months later. Two patients experienced transient oculomotor paresis as a procedure-related complication. Mean follow-up was 43.6+/-34.0 months (range 8-92 months). One patient died of putaminal haemorrhage unrelated to the aneurysm 15 months after embolisation. The other four had no subsequent SAH and survived without sequelae. Endovascular embolisation using detachable platinum coils proved to be a safe and efficient treatment modality for BTA associated with moyamoya disease.