Dissecting Aneurysm of Intracranial Vertebral Artery: Report of Two Autopsy Cases.

Korean J Leg Med. 2000 May;24(1):75-81. Korean.

Department of Forensic medicine, National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Korea.

Two autopsied cases of dissecting aneurysms of intracranial vertebral artery are reported and the appropriate literature is reviewed to investigate the pathological characteristics and pathogenesis. The location and pathological features of the aneurysms are similar in the two cases. The aneurysms in both cases are confined to the intracranial vertebral artery and massive subarachnoid hemorrhage in basal cistern develop caused by the rupture of the arterial wall. And the aneurysms show mainly subadventitial dissection and display intimal thickening, disruption of internal elastic lamina, and degeneration of the media. Based on their pathological investigation of these two cases and a review of reported cases, the authors propose that weakness of internal elastic lamina may be responsible for initiating dissection in susceptible individuals and hypertention is one of contributing factors that result in weakness of internal elastic lamina.

Key words: Vertebral artery, Dissecting aneurysm, subarachnoid hemorrhage