Abstract
Introduction: There is ongoing debate regarding the rupture risk of an unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA), and the predictors of rupture. Hypothesis: There are aneurysm morphology characteristics which predict rupture in patients with an UIA. The purpose of this analysis was to assess for such characteristics utilizing the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA) cohort. Methods: Patients were entered prospectively at 61 centers. Patients must have had at least one UIA, which may or may not have been symptomatic. Patients were followed for a median of 9 years and all potential hemorrhages were carefully adjudicated. A case-control design was used. The cases were 57 patients with aneurysmal rupture during followup for whom detailed radiology data were available from arteriography. Controls were 198 size- (+/- 2 mm maximum diameter) and location- (parent artery) matched patients without rupture during followup. Numerous aneurysm morphology characteristics were assessed on arteriogram review. Multivariable condition logistic regression modeling was performed. Results: A total of 57 cases and 198 controls were included. Most (76%) of the 255 cases were women, and 20% had a prior history of SAH from some other aneurysm. There were no differences between cases and controls in aneurysm maximum diameter, aneurysm location, patient age, gender, reason for presentation, or prior medical history. Multivariate analysis identified that only perpendicular height of the aneurysm--the measurement of the aneurysm height at a perpendicular to the center of the aneurysm neck to the aneurysm dome-was an independent predictor of aneurysm rupture. Aspect ratio, size ratio, parent vessel diameter, presence of daughter sac, and aneurysm angle were not independent predictors of rupture. Conclusions: After controlling for aneurysm size and location, the aneurysm perpendicular height remained a predictor of UIA rupture during long-term followup. The assessment of perpendicular height may be helpful in clinical practice, in addition to the other key predictors of UIA rupture, aneurysm maximum diameter and location. Further investigation into the use of perpendicular height as a predictor of rupture in patients with UIA is indicated.
Published Version
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