Intracranial Aneurysm in Pediatric Population: A Single-Center Experience

Purpose: Pediatric intracranial aneurysms (PIA) are rarer and more complex when compared to adult aneurysms. In general, the clinical presentation of PIA is due to a mass effect, but the presenting symptoms can be also related to ischemia, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), or in a combination of different symptoms. This paper aimed to report a single-center experience with clinical and angiographic aspects of brain aneurysm in children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively maintained database for patients with intracranial aneurysms in our institution from July 2015 to February 2021. Among these, all patients under 18 years of age submitted to a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure for an intracranial aneurysm were included. Results: Twelve patients were submitted to diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in our department. Three of them had multiple aneurysms, and in total, 17 intracranial aneurysms were assessed in this study. The most frequent location was in the middle cerebral artery (7 cases/41%). Five out of twelve children (42%) presented SAH due to ruptured aneurysm. Three patients (25%) had symptoms due to the mass effect from large aneurysms, with compression of cranial nerves or brainstem. Aneurysms diameters ranged from 1.5 mm to 34 mm (mean 14.2 mm), with six aneurysms being giant and eight being nonsaccular/fusiform. Twelve aneurysms were submitted to endovascular treatment, with one treatment-related clinical complication and later death. Conclusion: PIAs are rare diseases that can arise from a variety of different underlying pathological mechanisms. The management of these conditions requires a detailed understanding of the pathology and a multidisciplinary approach. Despite the availability of new technologies, parent vessel occlusion remains a valid option for aneurysms in the pediatric population.