Successful clipping of a distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm located on the anterior surface of the medulla oblongata--case report

A 55-year-old male presented with a ruptured distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm manifesting as subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiography demonstrated a saccular aneurysm arising from the lateral medullary segment of the left PICA and located on the medial side of the left vertebral artery (VA) and the anterior surface of the medulla oblongata. A transcondylar fossa approach was used to ensure a sufficient operating field and to obtain adequate visualization of the aneurysm, the parent artery, and the perforating arteries to the medulla oblongata. The aneurysm dome protruded medially at the hairpin curve, and was located on the medial side of the left VA and on the anterior surface of the medulla oblongata. There was no vessel branches in the vicinity of the aneurysm. The aneurysm was successfully clipped with minimum retraction of the cerebellar hemisphere and medulla oblongata. Distal PICA aneurysms can be located at various sites in the posterior fossa. The exact location of the aneurysm must be established to select the best surgical approach.