Morphological parameters of middle cerebral arteries associated with aneurysm formation

PURPOSE: The objective of this work was to investigate the correlation between morphological parameters of the MCA and the formation of aneurysms. METHODS: MCA aneurysms were diagnosed in 122 cases using CT angiography (including 30 cases of M1 proximal aneurysms, 70 cases of M1 bifurcation aneurysms, and 22 cases of distal aneurysms). Images from these cases were retrospectively compared with images from 50 healthy controls. Morphological parameters including the angle of the MCA with the ICA (α) and the ACA (β) were evaluated in the three aneurysm groups and the control group; parent-daughter angles (γ(1), γ(2)), bifurcation angles (γ(3)), bifurcation diameters, angle ratios, and branch diameter ratios were also compared between the bifurcation aneurysm group and the control group. The blood vessel parameters between the aneurysm groups and controls were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in α between the three groups of aneurysms and the control group (P = 0.381). In comparing β between the three groups of aneurysms and the control group, statistically significant differences were only observed between the MCA distal aneurysm group and the control group (P = 0.010). Compared with the control group, MCA bifurcation aneurysms were associated with larger γ(3) and smaller γ(1) and γ(2) (P < 0.001). This resulted in significantly larger angle ratios in the MCA bifurcation aneurysm group (P < 0.001). For the diameter measurements, the bifurcation diameter of the MCA bifurcation aneurysms was significantly smaller (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The formation of MCA aneurysms is related to morphological parameters.