Analysis of Radiological Findings in Ruptured Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms

Park, Cheol Wan; Kim, Kwang Myung; Chung, Hwan Yung; Kim, Nam Kyu; Oh, Suck Jun; Lee, Seung Ro

Abstract

In anterior communicating artery aneurysm that accounts for about 30% of intracranial aneurysms, it has been pointed out that the hemodynamic factor plays a very important role in all stages such as initiation, growth and rupture of aneurysm. Based upon the relationship between the findings of brain CT and those of cerebral angigram, the authors reviewed 96 cases of ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms that were operated on at the Department of Neurosurgery of Hanyang University Hospital from Jan. 1985 to June 1990, to suggest a point referred to which carotid artery should be selected first when direct carotid angiography is inevitable. The results were summarized as followings: 1) Of 96 cases, hemorrhagic evidence was observed in 92 case(95.8%) and among them, subarachnoid hemorrhage accompanying intracerebral hematoma(37 cases, 38.5%) was the most common type of hemorrhage. 2) Of 96 cases, left A1 was operated as afferent artery in 61 case(63.5%), right A1 in 23 cases(24.0%), and both A1, in 12 cases(12.5%). And the direction of aneurysm was to the right in 49 cases(51.0%), to the left in 12 cases(12.5%) and to the midline in 35 cases(36.5%). 3) Of 53 cases which had intracranial hematoma, 28 cases showed unilateral predominance. Among them the predominance of hematoma was opposite to the afferent artery in 82.1%(23/28) and was ipsilateral to the direction of aneurysm in 64.3%(18/28). 4) Of 91 cases which had subarachnoid hemorrhage, 29 cases showed unilateral predominance. Among them the predominance of hemorrhage was opposite to the afferent artery in 72.4%(21/29) and was ipsilateral to the direction of aneurysm in 58.6%(17/29). 5) Above findings suggest that in the cases with suspicious ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms on brain CT and direct carotid angiography is inevitable, contralateral carotid angiography should be undertaken at first when intracranial hematoma or subarachnoid hemorrhage shows unilateral predominance on brain CT, and left carotid antiography is preferable than the right one if there is no predominance of intracranial hematoma or subarachnoid hemorrhage on brain CT.