Turkish Neurosurgery
2014 , Vol 24 , Num 1
Treatment Strategy and Follow-up Evaluation for an Unruptured Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Associated with Pseudo-Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations
Wakayama Rosai Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Wakayama, Japan
DOI :
10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.7861-13.0
Basic research on cerebral aneurysms using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations has recently progressed. We describe a clinical
case with the use of CFD simulations. A 76-year-old woman had an unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm associated with
pseudo-occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Pre-operative CFD simulations demonstrated that carotid artery stenting (CAS) would
decrease hemodynamic stress on the aneurysm and might reduce the risk of aneurysm rupture. We performed CAS, and did not surgically
treat the aneurysm because of her advanced age. A 7-month follow-up angiogram showed no change in the aneurysm size. We performed
CFD simulations using the patient-specific flow waveforms at the bilateral ICAs before and 7 months after CAS. Maximum time-averaged wall
shear stress of the aneurysm decreased from 8.3 Pa to 4.4 Pa. The pressure loss coefficient of the aneurysm, a proposed hemodynamic value
for rupture risk, increased from 1.83 to 2.75. These findings indicated that CAS might reduce the rupture risk of the aneurysm according to
previous reports on CFD studies. The aneurysm remains unruptured for 14 months from the CAS. This is the first report to attempt to reduce
the rupture risk of an unruptured aneurysm with flow alteration based on CFD simulations.
Keywords :
Cerebral aneurysm, Computational fluid dynamics simulations, Pseudo-occlusion, Rupture risk, Treatment strategy