PAN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF LIFE SCIENCES
e-ISSN: 2672-5924
Volume 7, No. 3, December 2023
Pages 713-722
DOI: 10.36108/pajols/3202/70.0340
Ruptured Intracranial Vascular Aneurysm with Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: Autopsy Case Series and Literature Review
1*Wemimo M. Rasheed, Eziagu B. Uchechukwu2, Ayoade A. Adekunle3, Idowu A. Najeem4, Abiodun E. Afolayan1
1Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.
2Department of Histopathology, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
3Department of Histopathology and Morbid Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State. Nigeria
4Department of Surgery, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State. Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a severe condition where bleeding occurs in the subarachnoid space surrounding the brain. SAH can be caused by a ruptured aneurysm or head injury leading to a stroke (with associated disability or death). Common symptoms include severe (thunderclap) headache, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
Case Presentations: Firstly, a 58-year-old man presented with a history of severe headaches and inability to use the left side of his body, with a possible hemorrhagic right-sided hemispheric stroke diagnosis. Following death, an autopsy revealed a ruptured intracranial Charcot Bouchard aneurysm, with SAH as the cause.
Secondly, a 35-year-old woman presented with a sudden loss of consciousness and three episodes of generalised tonic-clonic convulsion during a coital activity at a guest house. Following death, an autopsy revealed a ruptured middle cerebral artery’s saccular (berry) aneurysm, causing SAH with bilateral tonsillar herniation as the cause. These case series highlight the importance of autopsy in diagnosing SAH.
Keywords: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm (RIA), cerebral aneurysm, autopsy or post-mortem examination