Endovascular treatment of a large ruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm in a 5-week-old infant: case report

Ruptured intracranial aneurysms are extremely rare in infants. The optimal treatment strategy is not well established. Both microsurgical and endovascular techniques and strategies have been tried, and in the literature there is a significant variability in outcome. The authors report the presentation and successful endovascular treatment of a large, ruptured, middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm in a 5-week-old girl, one of only a few reported in the literature. Clinical and radiological findings at follow-up are also presented. The authors then review the literature on aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in infants, with particular regard to outcome after either endovascular or open surgical management. They also provide recommendations for follow-up in pediatric patients whose intracranial aneurysms have been treated with coil embolization.