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Abstract:
A 9-year-old Indian boy was found to have an aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery. The vessel was heavily atherosclerosed, and the distal segment of the artery was tortuous and dilated. Serum lipid estimations showed the presence of type IIB hyperlipoproteinemia, with evidence of the disease in the patient's identical twin sibling and 37-year-old father. There was also a marginal increase in serum triglycerides in a 4-year-old younger brother. The patient's 29-year-old mother was unaffected. The patient had suffered hemolytic disease as a newborn, which resulted in kernicterus and subsequent mental retardation. This incident is considered to have been the result of a proven glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The aneurysm was resected and arterial continuity was ensured by using an end-to-end anastomosis. Post-operative blood flow studies showed normal flow patterns in the reconstituted artery. Postoperatively, the patient's mental performance increased dramatically; it is hypothesized that such progress is the consequence of an improvement in the blood supply to the limbic system, following the operative procedure.