Combined analysis of pathology and hemodynamics of human unruptured cerebral aneurysm with thin-walled region

Cerebral aneurysms are known as the top reason of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). They are studied in the medical and the engineering field to reveal their pathogenesis, progression, and rupture mechanisms1,2. The pathological studies revealed the site of predilection, rupture rate, the risk factors1, inflammation within the aneurysm, and conditions of endothelial cells (EC) in the aneurysms3. The current pathological analyses of the cerebral aneurysms are all phenomenological and it does not consider the cause-and-effect mechanisms between the mechanical stimulation and the physiological effect although hemodynamics is thought to play an important role in the mechanisms of aneurysms. One reason that the aneurysms’ mechanisms remain unsolved is because the pathology and hemodynamics are studied independently. Purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship of endothelial cell, thickness, and hemodynamics of the cerebral aneurysms by comparing the scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses, μCT, and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of the cerebral aneurysms.© 2013 ASME