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Thrombosed MCA Aneurysm Mimicking an Insular Cavernous Angioma: A Case Report and Literature Review

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Abstract

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) can mimic other lesions such as thrombosed aneurysms. Completely thrombosed aneurysms (CTA) are rare, especially in non-giant aneurysms. We report a case of a 40-year-old man with a presumed insular CCM. A surgery was performed and revealed a thrombotic distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm. The treatment consisted in sac incision and partial debulking. We reviewed the cases of thrombotic non-giant CTA and lesions mimicking CCM in the literature. Complete radiologic analysis and differential diagnosis remain crucial. For non-giant CTA, there is no clear consensus on their management, but they could be managed conservatively.

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Abbreviations

CCM:

Cerebral cavernous malformations

CT:

Computed tomography

CTA:

Completely thrombosed aneurysms

IGA:

Intracranial giant aneurysm

MCA:

Middle cerebral artery

MRI:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgery Department, Saint-Luc Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Morgane Soler-Rico & Patrice Finet

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  1. Morgane Soler-Rico
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Contributions

MSR and PF contributed to this study. Materials, data collection, and analyses were performed by the two authors. The original draft was written by MSR, and PF reviewed, edited, and commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Morgane Soler-Rico.

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Soler-Rico, M., Finet, P. Thrombosed MCA Aneurysm Mimicking an Insular Cavernous Angioma: A Case Report and Literature Review. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 5, 279 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-023-01615-9

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