Spontaneous thrombosis of a large unruptured intracranial aneurysm causing ischemic stroke due to occlusion of the parent artery: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Spontaneous thrombosis of an unruptured large or giant saccular intracranial aneurysm is a well-known phenomenon and can cause ischemic stroke (IS), which is a rare event. The possible pathogenic mechanisms of IS include distal embolic occlusion secondary to migration of the intra-aneurysmal thrombus, occlusion of the parent artery lumen caused by the retrograde extension of the aneurysmal thrombosis, external compression of the parent artery due to the increased aneurysmal mass effect. Among these, IS due to simultaneous thromboses of the aneurysm and its parent artery is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. Herein, we present a case of a 18-year-old woman who suffered an acute IS, attribute to spontaneous complete thrombosis of an unruptured large saccular aneurysm of the right middle cerebral artery with occlusion of the parent artery, and we review the literature simultaneously.

Keywords

• Spontaneous thrombosis
• Unruptured large or giant intracranial saccular aneurysm
• Simultaneous thromboses of the aneurysm and its parent artery
• Ischemic stroke