A giant partial thrombosed aneurysm of the internal cavernous carotid artery mimicking a meningioma of the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone

Abstract

Giant intracranial aneurysms are defined as those with diameters of 25 mm or more and represent about 5% of all intracranial aneurysms. These aneurysms typically manifest during the fifth to seventh decades of life. Due to their size, giant aneurysms are responsible for intracranial mass effect rather than hemorrhage. Clinical symptoms depend on aneurysm's location. Radiological features are not common for aneurysms of the internal cavernous carotid artery. Differential diagnosis includes pituitary adenoma, meningioma, craniopharyngioma, hamartoma, glioma, teratoma, and even granuloma.Here, the authors report a case of a 63-year-old female patient with a giant partial thrombosed aneurysm of the internal cavernous carotid artery mimicking a meningioma of the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone who presented for visual defect, and raised intracranial pressure. The authors will proceed with a literature review investigating this entity as well its ability of mimicking meningioma.

Keywords

• Giant aneurysm
• Meningioma
• MRI, Angiography