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Intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms
Ertugrul Cakir1, Gökalp Karaarslan, Kayhan Kuzeyli
1Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
Summary
Intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms (ICCAAns) are rare, symptomatic vascular lesions. This study highlights diagnostic imaging superiority of computed tomography (CT) over magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for ICCAAns.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms (ICCAAns) are uncommon cerebrovascular diseases.
- These aneurysms can present with diverse and significant neurological symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, and characteristics of intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms.
- To compare the efficacy of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in diagnosing ICCAAns.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of six patients diagnosed with ICCAAns between 1998 and 2002.
- Review of patient demographics, clinical symptoms, and diagnostic imaging findings (CT and MRI).
- Angiography used as the gold standard for detailed anatomical assessment.
Main Results:
- All six ICCAAns were saccular and symptomatic, presenting with headache, visual loss, eye pain, third nerve paresis, or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
- Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for ICCAAns compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Two patients presented with spontaneous thrombosis of the aneurysm.
Conclusions:
- ICCAAns are symptomatic lesions requiring accurate diagnosis for appropriate treatment planning.
- CT is a more effective initial imaging modality than MRI for detecting ICCAAns.
- Angiography is essential for definitive diagnosis and treatment strategy development.