Hemodynamic and morphological differences in cerebral aneurysms between before and after rupture.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurosurgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Cerebral aneurysm rupture is a critical event with poorly understood morphological and hemodynamic changes.
• Previous research on post-rupture aneurysm morphology and hemodynamics is limited due to data collection challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the morphological and hemodynamic changes in cerebral aneurysms following rupture.
• To analyze alterations in aneurysm geometry and blood flow dynamics after rupture using 3D imaging and computational fluid dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Reconstructed 3D geometry of 21 ruptured cerebral aneurysms from pre- and post-rupture angiographic images.
• Performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze blood flow.
• Calculated and compared morphological and hemodynamic parameters before and after rupture.

Main Results:

• Aneurysms showed significant increases in height, aspect ratio, volume, and undulation index post-rupture.
• Mean normalized wall shear stress (NWSS) decreased significantly after rupture.
• Reduced NWSS and stagnant flow were associated with post-rupture morphological changes.

Conclusions:

• Aneurysm rupture induces significant morphological changes, resulting in elongated, irregular shapes and increased volume.
• These morphological alterations lead to altered hemodynamics, characterized by decreased wall shear stress and stagnant flow.
• Findings suggest potential for developing rupture risk evaluation methods based on pre-rupture morphology and hemodynamics.