Abstract
Hemodynamic parameters play a significant role in the development of intracranial aneurysms and their time-depending changes during a prolonged follow-up period could lead to an increasing risk of rupture or to aneurysm rupture. The characteristics of these changes could bring significant information about the development of aneurysms and their rupture.
In this unique study, we analyzed four incidental unruptured intracranial aneurysms in four patients who were followed-up for a mean period of 5 years until their rupture. We performed computational fluid dynamic simulations with the data from two or three follow-up angiographic examinations from each patient and analyzed the results with regard to time-dependent changes in terms of the values of hemodynamic parameters.
Except one aneurysm of a fusiform dissecting origin, three aneurysms on MRA were described as non-growing. In the aneurysm domes, the minimal wall shear stress decreased and the low wall shear stress area increased significantly over time; the results indicated that the time-dependent changes such as decreasing values of minimal wall shear stress and increasing values of low wall shear stress area could lead to an increased risk of rupture.
For accurate evaluation of the rupture risk using computational fluid dynamic simulation, it is important to analyze more than two models of aneurysm during a follow-up period and focus on significant changes in the values of hemodynamic parameters.