The histopathological findings of two nonbranching saccular cerebral aneurysms

Cerebral aneurysms arising from nonbranching sites are different from ordinary branching aneurysms in clinical course and histology. We pathologically examined two cases of saccular aneurysm occurring at nonbranching sites. One was a pseudoaneurysm arising at a branch of the right pericallosal artery. The other had an entirely hyalinized and thickened aneurysmal wall. Despite similar angiographical findings, our two cases had different pathological features as described above. Based on the pathological findings obtained from these cases, we believe that aneurysms in nonbranching sites are caused by injury to the internal elastic lamina. A ruptured aneurysm may be discovered as a blood blister-like aneurysm, whereas an unruptured one may develop into a "nonbranching true aneurysm.