[Recurrence of a giant fusiform aneurysm after neck clipping: case report].

The patient was a 71-year-old female. On December 20, 1995, she suddenly developed a severe headache with vomiting and was transferred to our hospital. On admission, her conciousness level was 1-2 on the Japan Coma Scale, but there was no neurological deficit except for right oculomotor palsy. Computed tomography showed subarachnoid hemorrhage which had permeated the right lateral ventricle. On cerebral angiography, a giant fusiform aneurysm in the right internal carotid artery was recognized. During the emergency operation, neither neck clipping nor carotid reconstruction was possible because of the tight adhesion of the aneurysm to the peripheral tissue. On account of this, proximal clipping of the carotid artery with external carotid-middle cerebral artery anastomosis with saphenous vein graft was selected. This patient had had an episode of subarachnoid hemorrhage owing to rupture of the right internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm ten years earlier. At that time, the aneurysmal neck was clipped with a slight residual neck and she left the hospital on foot. Five days later, when the aneurysm was found to be completely thrombosed on CT scan, antiplatelet therapy was started. Although low density areas which corresponded to the regions fed by the right anterior choroidal artery were presented, re-rupture did not occur. Follow-up angiography showed that the aneurysm was completely thrombosed and that the right middle cerebral and the anterior cerebral artery blood was circulated via the vein graft. Among recurrent cases of aneurysm after neck clipping, it is unusual for a giant fusiform aneurysm to be recognized. The growth may have been caused by sclerotic change of the arterial wall. Oculomotor palsy may have delayed the detection of the recurrence of the aneurysm. When residual neck is presented on follow-up angiography, the next angiography should be carried out within at least three years. In this case, antiplatelet therapy was effective to prevent thromboembolism from the aneurysm.