Histological findings in giant aneurysms treated with Guglielmi detachable coils. Report of two cases with autopsy correlation.

The authors report the pathological and histological findings in two patients with giant partially thrombosed aneurysms who were treated by means of Guglielmi detachable coils with subtotal occlusion of the aneurysms. Autopsies of these patients were performed 2 and 6 months after endovascular treatment. The histological findings revealed coils embedded in largely unorganized thrombus in the aneurysms; there was no clear reduction in size of the aneurysms over the period. There was no evidence of endothelialization of the aneurysm neck demonstrated in either case. The significance of these findings is discussed.