Aneurysms of the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) are rare. They usually are secondary to traumatic or infectious etiologies and are rarely idiopathic. The specific characteristics of idiopathic aneurysms in such location are not well defined in the literature. The authors report a rare case of a ruptured giant idiopathic cortical MCA aneurysm with review of the available literature on this clinical entity.
A 24-year-old female presented with headache, disturbed level of consciousness, and right-sided weakness. Imaging studies showed a left frontoparietal intracerebral hematoma and a giant saccular aneurysm in the posterior parietal cortical branch of the MCA. The patient had no history of head trauma or active infection; therefore, the aneurysm was considered idiopathic. A microsurgical clipping of the aneurysm with evacuation of the hematoma was performed. There were no surgical complications, and the patient achieved a good outcome modified Rankin Scale of 1 with no neurological deficits.
Idiopathic aneurysms of the cortical branches of the MCA are rare, and usually present with intraparenchymal hemorrhage due to rupture. There is no clear consensus regarding the optimal management strategy. This case shows that timely management can lead to good outcomes.
