Ruptured vertebrobasilar aneurysm associated with giant cell arteritis in a young boy

Intracranial aneurysms are rare in early childhood and there is little published information on their histology. We report a young boy who died of subarachnoid haemorrhage, 29 months after coiling of a giant vertebrobasilar aneurysm. Histology of the aneurysm revealed intramural inflammation with giant cells and fragmentation of the internal elastic lamina. The findings highlight the need for detailed examination in such cases, to elucidate the pathogenesis and pathology of cerebrovascular aneurysms in this age group. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.