Brain ischemia due to direct vascular compression associate with rapid enlargement of unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm: A case report

BACKGROUND: Acute cerebral infarction is a rare complication resulting from an unruptured cerebral aneurysm (UCA). There is presently no consensus on the optimal strategy for the management of UCAs with cerebral infarctions. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 53-year-old man presented with transient dysarthria and left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated the presence of a 7 mm UCA originating from the middle cerebral artery bifurcation, and diffusion-weighted imaging showed no evidence of cerebral infarction. One month later, his transient left hemiparesis recurred, and the patient was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography angiography showed enlargement of the aneurysm. His left hemiparesis worsened 3 days later. MRI showed cerebral infarction in the area of perforating arteries and further enlargement of the aneurysm with surrounding parenchymal edema. Therefore, the rupture risk was considered to be rarely high and dome clipping was performed immediately. Postoperatively, his neurological status improved without any recurrent brain ischemia. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of a rapidly enlarging aneurysm that presented with cerebral infarction. This is the first report describing aneurysmal sac enlargement that can lead to perforating artery obstruction and brain ischemia. The case illustrates the importance of performing close follow-up examinations to confirm findings that suggest a high rupture risk.