Fenestration deformity of the basilar artery trunk with an aneurysm: A case report

RATIONALE: Fenestration of the basilar artery is most common in the proximal portion near the vertebrobasilar artery junction. Conversely, fenestration of the middle and distal portions of the basilar artery is not common, and fenestration of the basilar artery with an aneurysm is even less common. PATIENT CONCERNS: This study reports the case of a 37-year-old woman with basilar artery fenestration malformation and an aneurysm at the mid-distal junction; her symptoms included sudden headaches with nausea and vomiting. DIAGNOSES: Head digital subtraction angiography showed fenestration at the junction of the middle and upper portions of the basilar artery associated with an aneurysm, and spontaneous pseudoaneurysm formation could not be excluded. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent stent-assisted fenestration and channel occlusion. OUTCOMES: Five months later, no abnormalities were found by head magnetic resonance imaging. The stents were well positioned, and no occluded branches or aneurysms were present. LESSONS: For mid-distal basilar artery fenestration malformation with an aneurysm, occlusion of the lesion channel is relatively safe when there are no perforating vessels in the fenestration channel and the lesion channel is a nondominant channel. Overall, more attention should be paid to the possibility of pseudoaneurysm formation in the diagnosis and treatment of this type of aneurysm.