Object The aim of this study was to analyze the location, clinical presentation, and morphological characteristics of pediatric aneurysms and the safety, feasibility, and durability of endovascular treatment. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective study of all cases involving patients 18 years old or younger who underwent endovascular treatment for pediatric aneurysms at their institution between July 1998 and July 2010. The clinical presentation, aneurysm location, endovascular management, and treatment outcome were studied. Results During the study period, 23 pediatric patients (mean age 13 years, range 2 months–18 years) were referred to the authors' department and underwent endovascular treatment for aneurysms. The aneurysms were saccular in 6 cases, dissecting in 4, infectious in 5, and giant partially thrombosed lesions in 8. Fourteen of the aneurysms were ruptured, and 9 were unruptured. Thirteen were in the anterior circulation and 10 in the posterior circulation. The most common location in the anterior circulation was the anterior communicating artery; in the posterior circulation, the most common location was the basilar artery. Saccular aneurysms were the most common type in the anterior circulation; and giant partially thrombosed and dissecting aneurysms were the most common types in the posterior circulation. Coil embolization was performed in 7 cases, parent vessel sacrifice in 10, flow reversal in 3, glue embolization in 2, and stent placement in 1. Immediate angiographic cure was seen in 21 (91%) of 23 patients. Complications occurred in 4 patients, 3 of whom eventually had a good outcome. No patient died. Overall, a favorable outcome was seen in 22 (96%) of 23 patients. Follow-up showed stable occlusion of aneurysms in 96% of the patients. Conclusions Pediatric aneurysms are rare. Their clinical presentation varies from intracranial hemorrhage to mass effect. They may also be found incidentally. Among pediatric patients with aneurysms, giant aneurysms are relatively common. Endovascular management is associated with low rates of complications and is a safe, durable, and effective treatment for pediatric aneurysms.

A 43-year-old man presented with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. He was investigated and found to have a rare posterior condylar canal dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). DAVFs of the posterior condylar canal are rare. Venous drainage of the DAVF was through a long, tortuous, and aneurysmal bridging vein. We describe the clinical presentation, cross sectional imaging, angiographic features, and endovascular management of this patient. The patient was treated by transarterial embolization of the fistula through the ascending pharyngeal artery. This is the first report of an acutely bled posterior condylar canal DAVF treated by transarterial Onyx embolization with balloon protection in the vertebral artery. The patient recovered without any neurological deficit and had an excellent outcome. On 6 month follow-up angiogram, there was stable occlusion of the dural fistula.

Tuberculosis remains to be an endemic infectious disease in developing countries. With the increasing incidence of HIV and AIDS, there is further increase in the incidence of tuberculosis. Although CNS involvement by tuberculosis is seen in all age groups, there is a predilection for younger patients. Central nervous system tuberculosis may present as tuberculoma, cerebral abscess or tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Vasculitis secondary to TBM can cause infarcts and rarely aneurysm formation. In TBM there is a thick, gelatinous exudate around the sylvian fissures, basal cisterns. There is a border zone reaction occurring in the surrounding brain tissue. Inflammatory changes occur in the vessel wall of the arteries bathed in the exudate leading to narrowing of the lumen or occlusion by thrombus formation. The vessels at the base of the brain are most severely affected, including the internal carotid artery, proximal middle cerebral artery and perforating vessels of the basal ganglion. In these cases, the infection probably spreads from the adventitia towards the internal elastic lamina, weakening the vessel wall, with subsequent formation of an infectious aneurysm. Intracranial tuberculomas are space-occupying masses of granulomatous tissue that result from haematogenous spread from a distant focus of tuberculous infection. In endemic regions, tuberculomas account for as many as 50% of all intracranial space-occupying lesions. Inflammation in the vessels surrounding the tuberculoma may lead to formation of aneurysms. This case report illustrates an unusual case of intracranial tuberculomas complicated by intralesional haemorrhage due to an infective tubercular aneurysm in its vicinity. The endovascular treatment of these infectious aneurysms is safe, effective and durable. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a tuberculoma having intracranial haemorrhage on anti-tubercular treatment due to an infectious aneurysm developing in an artery in the vicinity of the tuberculoma and managed end.

Our results suggest that PVS remains the procedure of choice wherever possible and is relatively safe, particularly for giant vertebral and PCA aneurysms. When PVS is not feasible, stent-assisted coiling is a reasonable and safe option and requires follow-up. Management of basilar or vertebrobasilar aneurysms is complicated and still evolving.

Embolization of DAVFs has evolved over the last decade and has become the treatment of choice with high cure rates and improved safety. We propose the use of Onyx as the embolic agent of choice in the treatment of DAVFs.