Operative Treatment of a Superior Cerebellar Artery Perforator Dissecting Aneurysm

Superior cerebellar artery (SCA) perforator aneurysms are extremely rare, with only one other case published in the literature. There is no conclusive management strategy for these aneurysms, although endovascular treatment, open surgical treatment with clipping, and antifibrinolytic administration with spontaneous thrombosis have all been discussed.

A 61-yr-old male presented with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) primarily in the posterior fossa. He was found to have a dissecting left SCA perforator aneurysm lying on the floor of the fourth ventricle. The aneurysm was not amenable to endovascular treatment, and antifibrinolytic therapy failed to spontaneously thrombose the aneurysm. We performed a suboccipital craniotomy and used a supracerebellar transvermian approach to resect the aneurysm. There was total obliteration of the aneurysm on postoperative cerebral angiogram.

SCA perforator aneurysms represent an extremely uncommon subset of intracranial aneurysms. The best therapeutic strategy has yet to be definitively proven. When pursuing surgical treatment, the supracerebellar transvermian navigated approach can be a useful and safe option, as described and illustrated in this video.