An unruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysm ruptured during angiography: A case report

Cerebrovascular imaging is the gold standard for diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms. Rupture of intracranial aneurysm is rare in cerebrovascular angiography, especially in unruptured intracranial aneurysm.

A 74-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for sudden onset of left eyelid ptosis for 1 day with no obvious inducement. The patient had a history of hypertension. Physical examination revealed that she had clear consciousness and normal speech, but the left eyelid drooped. The left pupil diameter was 5 mm and light reflex was absent. The left eyeball could not move, and the right eye examinations were normal. The limb muscle strength and muscle tension were normal.

Bilateral internal carotid artery posterior communicating aneurysm, severe stenosis of the origin of left carotid artery, and right oculomotor nerve palsy.

After the hospital, the aneurysm ruptured and hemorrhaged during radiography, and the patient improved after immediate rescue and treatment. On the third day after angiography, the patient's the condition gradually stabilized. Under the general anesthesia, left carotid artery stenosis stent implantation and left posterior communicating artery aneurysm stent assisted coil embolization were performed successfully. On the second day after embolization, the patient's head computed tomography (CT) showed subarachnoid hemorrhage with hydrocephalus. The patient underwent external ventricular drainage. A month later, the patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

Six months later, the patient visited our hospital for a follow-up, and she was clear-headed, aphasia, right limb hemiplegia with muscle strength grade II, left side autonomous activities, and the GOS score was 2 points. Head CT showed the ventricles were normal.

Acute oculomotor palsy may be a risk factor for rupture of ipsilateral unruptured aneurysms, but more basic research and clinical trial evidence of intracranial aneurysms are needed to confirm this.