Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences 2019 Oct 28

DOI: 10.23736/S0390-5616.19.04768-4

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

A minimally invasive approach for giant middle cerebral artery thrombosed aneurysms treatment

Marco CENZATO ¹, Flavia DONES ¹ ✉, Alessia FRATIANNI ¹, Mariangela PIANO ², Luca VALVASSORI ³, Amedeo CERVO ², Davide BOERIS ¹, Alberto DEBERNARDI ¹, Eleonora MARCATI ¹, Edoardo BOCCARDI ²

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; ² Department of Neuroradiology, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; ³ Department of Neuroradiology, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Italy

BACKGROUND: Management of complex thrombosed aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is challenging. Lesions not amenable to endovascular techniques or direct clipping might require a bypass procedure with subsequent aneurysm occlusion. Various bypass techniques followed by surgical or endovascular closure of the aneurysm are available, but an unpredictable extension of the thrombus to the parent vessel and/or to perforator vessels can occur. We present a multidisciplinary technique with the aim to reduce invasiveness and complications.
METHODS: We present two patients, harboring a thrombosed giant MCA bifurcation aneurysm, who were treated with a minimally invasive three-steps multimodality procedure. In both cases, through a limited exposure of the sylvian fissure, a side-to-side anastomosis between the two M2 branches was performed, followed in the immediate post-op by an endovascular occlusion of the frontal M2 branch, with the aim of transforming a bifurcation aneurysm in a sidewall aneurysm, that was then treated a few days later by flow diverter deployment.
RESULTS: Both patients had excellent outcomes and were discharged after 7 days without neurological deficits.
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of complex thrombosed MCA aneurysms is challenging. Side- to-side M2 anastomosis with the aim of transforming a bifurcation aneurysm in a sidewall aneurysm, suitable to be treated few days later by flow diverter deployment, offers a minimally invasive multimodal approach with the possibility of reducing serious complications.

KEY WORDS: MCA giant thromboses aneurysms; Side-to-side anastomosis; Side-wall aneurysm; Flow-diverter