Calcification of intracranial aneurysms is a well-known phenomenon. Whether microsurgical or endovascular techniques are used, calcifications may increase the difficulty of treatment. However, the implications of calcification on aneurysm biology and stability have received little attention. We review both investigational and clinical methods that are used to detect aneurysmal calcification. We also discuss the pathophysiology of aneurysm calcification, specifically the role that inflammation and smooth muscle cells play. We finally turn our attention to the clinical implications of aneurysm calcification including rupture risk and treatment considerations. Calcification may represent an important feature in the life cycle of an aneurysm and as imaging methods continue to improve, we may yet discover a biomarker for this process.
Keywords: Aneurysm calcification; Atherosclerotic calcification; Bone morphogenic protein; Msh Homeobox 2; Multiphoton microscopy; Optical coherence tomography; Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2; Vascular smooth muscle cells; micro-CT.
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