Ruptured infective intracranial aneurysm with intracerebral hemorrhage in an infant

Abstract

Intracranial aneurysms are rare in children. Less than 10% of pediatric intracranial aneurysms are infective aneurysms, and few cases of such aneurysms in infants have been reported in the literature. In this study, we report the case of a 1-month-old preterm infant presenting with recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage due to a ruptured intracranial infective aneurysm. Blood culture yielded Candida species. Brain computed tomography and cerebral angiography revealed a large intracerebral hematoma in the left frontal lobe and a 2.7-mm sized aneurysm in a distal branch of the middle cerebral artery. The patient underwent craniotomy for hematoma evacuation and aneurysm excision. After the surgical intervention, antifungal therapy, and rehabilitation treatment, the patient recovered with mild neurological sequelae. This case demonstrated that the aggressive treatment for infective intracranial aneurysm is key to a favorable outcome, even in a young infant.