Intracranial-Intracranial Bypass Using a Y-Shaped Artery Graft for Growing Unruptured Gemella morbillorum Infectious Aneurysm on Artery Supplying Sensory Cortex

World Neurosurg. 2020 Oct:142:328-333. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.07.056. Epub 2020 Jul 17.

Abstract

Background: Vascular reconstruction is required to treat infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) on arteries supplying the eloquent area. However, extracranial-intracranial bypass is sometimes impossible because IIAs are frequently located distally on arteries and the length of a donor artery is limited. We report a rare case of an unruptured Gemella morbillorum IIA, which was successfully treated by intracranial-intracranial (IC-IC) bypass using a Y-shaped superficial temporal artery (STA) interposition graft.

Case description: A 52-year-old man presented with heart failure and an unruptured IIA in the right anterior parietal artery because of acute G. morbillorum endocarditis. The patient was treated with urgent replacement of cardiac valves and antibiotic therapy. However, the IIA increased in size during the following 1 month, and therefore was treated surgically to prevent the rupture. End-to-side IC-IC bypass using a Y-shaped STA graft followed by aneurysmal trapping was performed to overcome the limited length of the STA as a donor artery to prevent cerebral ischemia in the artery territory and to avoid direct injury to the sensory cortex adhering tightly to the IIA. Postoperative courses were uneventful, and he recovered from the infectious diseases.

Conclusions: This case suggests that end-to-side IC-IC bypass using a Y-shaped STA graft can be a good option for surgical treatment of IIAs, which are located in eloquent areas.

Keywords: End-to-side anastomosis; Gemella morbillorum; Infectious intracranial aneurysm; Intracranial-intracranial bypass; Superficial temporal artery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aneurysm, Infected / diagnostic imaging
  • Aneurysm, Infected / surgery*
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis*
  • Cerebral Revascularization / methods*
  • Gemella / isolation & purification*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnostic imaging
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / diagnostic imaging
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Sensorimotor Cortex / blood supply
  • Sensorimotor Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Sensorimotor Cortex / surgery

Supplementary concepts

  • Gemella morbillorum