Intracranial mirror-image aneurysm: a report of 17 cases

Objective To study the clinical characteristics and microsurgical skills of intracranial mirror-image aneurysm. Methods The clinical data and post-operative outcomes of 17 patients with 36 intracranial mirror-image aneurysms who underwent microsurgical operation were analyzed retrospectively. Results Thirty-five aneurysms were clipped directly and 1 did not give any treatment. One-time surgery was performed in 9 patients and 20 aneurysms were clipped. Two-stage operation was performed in the other 7 patients: 7 aneurysms were clipped in the first surgery and 7 in the second one. One patient received aneurysm clipping only in one side of the brain. CTA was performed again on 11 patients, noting that residual aneurysm neck of the 2 aneurysms existed in 23 clipped aneurysms, that the other aneurysms disappeared, and that the parent arteries were clear. GOS indicated that good surgical outcomes were achieved in 12 patients, light disability in 4 and severe disability in 1.Conclusion The surgical outcomes of intracranial mirror-image aneurysm performed microsurgical operation are predominance. Criminal aneurysms should be determined correctly and clipped firstly; and according to the sites and grades of the aneurysms and the patient's condition, good outcomes can be achieved by choosing one-time operation or two-stage operation. Key words: Intracranial aneurysm;  Mirror-image aneurysm;  Microsurgery