Ruptured PICA aneurysms: presentation and treatment outcomes compared to other posterior circulation aneurysms. A Swiss SOS study

Abstract

Background and purpose

Aneurysms of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are relatively uncommon and evidence is sparse about patients presenting with ruptured PICA aneurysms. We performed an analysis of the Swiss SOS national registry to describe clinical presentation, treatment pattern, and neurological outcome of patients with ruptured PICA aneurysms compared with other ruptured posterior circulation (PC) aneurysms.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of anonymized data from the Swiss SOS registry (Swiss Study on Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; 2009–2014). Patients with ruptured PC aneurysms were subdivided into a PICA and non-PICA group. Clinical, radiological, and treatment-related variables were identified, and their impact on the neurological outcome was determined in terms of modified Rankin score at discharge and at 1 year of follow-up for the two groups.

Results

Data from 1864 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients were reviewed. There were 264 patients with a ruptured PC aneurysm. Seventy-four PICA aneurysms represented 28% of the series; clinical and radiological characteristics at admission were comparable between the PICA and non-PICA group. Surgical treatment was accomplished in 28% of patients in the PICA group and in the 4.8% of patients in the non-PICA group. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of complications after treatment. Hydrocephalus requiring definitive shunt was needed in 21.6% of PICA patients (p = 0.6); cranial nerve deficit was present in average a quarter of the patients in both PICA and non-PICA group with no statistical difference (p = 0.3). A more favorable outcome (66.2%) was reported in the PICA group at discharge (p < 0.05) but this difference faded over time with a similar neurological outcome at 1-year follow-up (p = 0.09) between both PICA and non-PICA group. The Kaplan-Meyer estimation showed no significant difference in the mortality rate between both groups (p = 0.08).

Conclusions

In the present study, patients with ruptured PICA aneurysms had a favorable neurological outcome in more than two thirds of cases, similar to patients with other ruptured PC aneurysms. Surgical treatment remains a valid option in a third of cases with ruptured PICA aneurysms.

Appendix: List of contributors to the Swiss SOS study group

• Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Service of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

  • Alda Rocca, MD

• Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

  • Bruno Bartolini, MD

  • Steven Hajdu, MD

  • Francesco Puccinelli, MD

• Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Zurich University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

  • Kulcsàr Zsolt, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Zurich & Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

  • Emanuela Keller, MD

  • Luca Regli, MD

  • Oliver Bozinov, MD

  • Sina Finkenstädt, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland

  • Daniel Schöni, MD

  • Andreas Raabe, MD

  • Jürgen Beck, MD

  • Johannes Goldberg, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

  • Luigi Mariani, MD

  • Raphael Guzman, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

  • Javier Fandino, MD

  • Daniel Coluccia, MD

• Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Ospedale Civico di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland

  • Alessandro Cianfoni, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland

  • Daniele Valsecchi, MD

  • Alessio Chiappini, MD

  • Alice Venier, MD

  • Michael Reinert, MD

• Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.

  • Johannes Weber, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland

  • Andrea Ferrari, MD

  • Astrid Weyerbrock, MD

  • Gerhard Hildebrandt, MD

  • Martin Hlavica, MD

• Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hopitaux Universitaires Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Vitor Mendes Pereira, MD

• Department of Neurosurgery, Hopitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland

  • Marco Corniola, MD

  • Karl Schaller, MD