Mobilization of the temporal pole as integrated step in microsurgical clipping of pure posteriorly directed posterior communicating artery aneurysm

Abstract

A pure posteriorly posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm represents a surgical challenge. This is mainly when there is a need for good exposure of the aneurysmal neck, sac, PCoA, and anterior choroidal arteries. Ruptured pure posteriorly directed PCoA aneurysm imposes significantly extra challenge as the surgeon undergoes dissection through a tight brain. Even with measures commonly used to attain brain relaxation like the lumbar drain and cisternal fenestration. Here, we describe a technique for posterior temporal pole mobilization (TPM) as an integrated part of microsurgical clipping of ruptured pure posteriorly directed PCoA aneurysms. This technique is implicated in twenty-three successive cases of ruptured PCoA aneurysms in the neurosurgery teaching hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, with no reported complications.

Keywords

• internal carotid artery
• posterior communicating artery aneurysm
• temporal lobe