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Endovascular electrocoagulation for the treatment of a basilar artery perforator aneurysm not accessible to the microcatheter
  1. Linggen Dong1,2,
  2. Xinjun Shui3,
  3. Jie Liu4,
  4. Dachao Wei1,2,
  5. Yang Zhao5,
  6. Ming Lv1,2
  1. 1Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  2. 2Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  3. 3Department of Neurosurgery, Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
  4. 4Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
  5. 5Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
  1. Correspondence to Dr Ming Lv; dragontiger{at}163.com; Dr Yang Zhao; china.zhaoyang{at}163.com

Abstract

Basilar artery perforator aneurysms (BAPAs) are rare and may be occult on initial imaging due to their small size and susceptibility to intermittent thrombosis.1 2 Conventional treatments for aneurysms (eg, clipping or coiling) have proved challenging.3 Recently, endovascular electrocoagulation has been shown to be effective for BAPAs.1 4 5 Here, we report a case of a ruptured BAPA not accessible to a microcatheter, which was successfully treated by endovascular electrocoagulation (video 1). During endovascular electrocoagulation, the tip of the microguidewire functions as an anode, facilitating thrombosis in the aneurysm or parent artery by attracting negatively charged blood particles after passage of an electric current.4 Postoperative immediate angiography showed that the aneurysm completely disappeared. Digital subtraction angiography was repeated 10 days later and showed no recurrence of the aneurysm. This case demonstrates that endovascular electrocoagulation can serve as a promising alternative to conventional endovascular techniques in selected cases if a microcatheter cannot be advanced into the aneurysm sac.

Video 1 Technical video demonstrating endovascular electrocoagulation for the treatment of a basilar artery perforator aneurysm not accessible to the microcatheter.

  • Aneurysm
  • Technique
  • guidewire

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Footnotes

  • Contributors LD wrote the first draft. XS, JL, and DW collectively reviewed and edited the manuscript and made substantial changes. ML and YZ conceived and designed this manuscript. All authors approved the manuscript for publication. ML is the guarantor.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.