Mechanical thrombectomy for occlusion near a ruptured intracranial aneurysm: A case report

BACKGROUND: While recent randomized clinical trials have shown the efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy for acute large vessel anterior cerebral occlusion, cases in patients with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were excluded from the study. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 58-year-old man presented with a SAH as a result of a ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm. Coil embolization was performed, and a right intracranial angiography showed remnants of an aneurysmal neck. However, the following angiography also revealed a thromboembolic complication that occurred in the same territory as the ruptured aneurysm. The patient underwent a rescue mechanical thrombectomy under the working projection. We deployed a retrieval stent without covering the aneurysmal neck. The occluded vessel was recanalized without any hemorrhagic complication. Due to minimal intracerebral infarction, the patient had good outcomes. CONCLUSION: Mechanical thrombectomy is a useful option to retrieve a clot from an occluded intracranial vessel located near a ruptured aneurysm. Approaching the clot at the working projection is important to ensure safety in the setting of a ruptured aneurysm.