[Intracranial aneurysms in childhood and adolescence]

To assess the radiological characteristics and therapeutic strategies of intracranial aneurysms in childhood and adolescence.

From our dedicated aneurysmal patient databank, the investigators reviewed 39 consecutive children and adolescents with 44 intracranial aneurysms. There were 24 boys and 15 girls.

Twenty-two patients underwent endovascular treatment. Among them, 8 patients received microsurgical therapy. Aneurysms became spontaneously thrombosed before therapy in 3 patients. One patient died pre-operatively from a re-rupture of aneurysm. And 5 cases were not treated at all.

Intracranial aneurysms in childhood and adolescence have many clinical and radiological characteristics: (1) remarkable male predominance; (2) middle cerebral artery is the most common site for aneurysms; (3) there is a high prevalence of giant, traumatic, dissecting and fusiform aneurysms; (4) both microsurgical approaches and endovascular treatment were effective. For some giant complex intracranial aneurysms, parent arterial occlusion or EC-IC (extracranial-intracranial) bypass is the best therapeutic choice. A majority of patients may have favorable outcomes.