Pediatric intracranial aneurysms: an institutional experience

Vivek Kumar Vaid1, Raj Kumar, Samir Kumar Kalra

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Insights

Pediatric intracranial aneurysms, though rare, often present with subarachnoid hemorrhage and have a male predominance. These children show better grades and surgical outcomes compared to adults.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Cerebrovascular Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Intracranial aneurysms are rare in children, with poorly understood epidemiology and unique characteristics.
  • This study investigates the epidemiology, clinicoradiological profile, and outcomes of pediatric intracranial aneurysms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the epidemiological features of pediatric intracranial aneurysms.
  • To describe the clinicoradiological presentation and outcomes in children with intracranial aneurysms.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 27 pediatric patients (<18 years) treated for intracranial aneurysms between 1991 and 2007.
  • Patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or mass effect, confirmed by digital subtraction angiography.

Main Results:

  • Most pediatric patients (85.18%) presented with SAH, with sudden severe headache and loss of consciousness as common symptoms.
  • Internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcations and middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcations were the most frequent aneurysm sites.
  • A higher incidence of giant and posterior circulation aneurysms was observed compared to adults.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric intracranial aneurysms commonly present with SAH, showing a male predominance.
  • ICA and MCA bifurcations are the most common locations.
  • Children with intracranial aneurysms tend to present with better grades and achieve more favorable surgical outcomes than adults.
Abstract

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