Treatment strategies for traumatic cervico-cranial pseudoaneurysms: A single institution experience.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Limited clinical and angiographic data exists for patients with traumatic cervico-cerebral pseudoaneurysms. In this paper, we present our limited experience with various management strategies for traumatic cervico-cranial pseudoaneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 37 consecutive cases of traumatic pseudoaneurysms involving the cervico-cranial or the cerebral arteries diagnosed at our center from September 2009 to December 2014. The demographic data, etiology, clinical presentation, lesion location, treatment modality, and follow-up outcomes of these patients were reviewed. Among these 37 patients, 5 patients were treated by surgery, while 29 patients were treated by the endovascular approach and 3 received conservative treatment. RESULTS: During the study period, 42 pseudoaneurysms were identified in 37 patients with a history of head or neck injury. Five patients underwent surgical exploration of the lesion with an uneventful postoperative course. Twenty-nine patients were treated by endovascular interventions with various embolization materials including coils, stents, detachable balloons, liquid embolic agents, and a combination of these agents. The angiographic follow-up imaging demonstrated complete exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation with the patient being free from any additional neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: Proper selection of an appropriate approach is essential to address the management of traumatic cervico-cerebral pseudoaneurysms. The treatment of traumatic cervico-cerebral pseudoaneurysms should be selected according to the location and the clinical features of the pseudoaneurysms. The endovascular treatment is a safe and effective modality and should be the first-line choice for treatment of traumatic pseudoaneurysms.