Unruptured cerebral artery aneurysms as a cause of sudden unexpected death

Abstract

Subarachnoid haemorrhage associated with a ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm is a well-recognised entity. Unruptured cerebral artery aneurysms (UCAAs) are common and associated with excess mortality, especially if untreated.1 The clinical presentation of UCAAs varies, and from a forensic pathology perspective, includes seizures,2,3 a known cause of sudden death. The relationship between seizures and UCAAs is demonstrated in the neurosurgical and neurology literature, the pathogenesis being described as secondary to irritation of the adjacent cortex either by the aneurysm itself and/or by a small aneurysmal leak.