Endovascular treatment of a fusiform basilar artery aneurysm using multiple “in-stent stents”

Abstract

Fusiform aneurysms of the basilar artery present difficult challenges for the treating physician. On one hand, these aneurysms are difficult and dangerous to treat. On the other, the relatively high rupture rate, risk of thromboemboli, and the frequent presence of mass effect on the brainstem often demand treatment rather than observation. While conservative treatment may be reasonable in an elderly patient, the relative resiliency and the larger lifetime cumulative risks of pediatric patients are compelling arguments for treatment. With the advancement of endovascular techniques some of these lesions have become treatable without the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with open surgical treatment, albeit with risks of their own. The authors present the case of a fusiform aneurysm arising from a severely tortuous basilar artery in a 22-month-old boy. The aneurysm was successfully treated using flow diversion by placing multiple intracranial stents without coil embolization. This allowed for thrombosis of the aneurysm and resolution of the mass effect on the brainstem without compromising blood flow to the brainstem.