Clinical outcomes of basilar artery aneurysms

To evaluate the effects of endovascular treatments, we retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of patients with basilar artery aneurysms (BAAs) treated endovascularly. During a seven year period, 43 patients (mean age 42.2 years, male/female ratio 21:22) with BAAs were treated mainly with endovascular techniques at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. Pretreatment clinical grades were determined using the Hunt-Hess scale. Outcome was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale scores (GOS) during a mean follow-up period of 21.1 months (range, 1 to 72 months). Forty-three patients had 44 BAAs, one MCA aneurysm and one P1 aneurysm. Endovascular treatment was technically feasible in 40 patients. One aneurysm thrombosed spontaneously after initial angiography. Four (9.3%) patients died periprocedurally. Immediate postprocedural angiograms in 44 BAAs showed that complete occlusion was achieved in 33 BAAs, subtotal occlusion in one and incomplete occlusion in seven. Follow-up angiographic results in 30 patients confirmed complete occlusion of 27 aneurysms, subtotal occlusion in one, and incomplete occlusion in two. Two patients with vertebrobasilar atheromatous fusiform aneurysms were treated with antiplatelet medications. Long-term outcome was good (GOS Score 4 or 5) in 39 patients (90.7%) and fatal (GOS Score 1) in four (9.3%). Favorable overall long-term outcome can be achieved in patients with BA apex aneurysms, and in 78.6% of those with BA trunk aneurysms when using endovascular techniques. Endovascular coil embolization of BAAs is an effective treatment in the long-term. Patients with vertebrobasilar atheromatous fusiform aneurysms can be treated with antiplatelet medications.