Intracranial cerebrovascular vasa vasorum associated with atherosclerosis and large thick-walled aneurysms.

Atherosclerotic plaques that develop in the extracranial circulation are usually extensively vascularized by vasa vasorum. However, human vasa vasorum associated with intracranial atherosclerosis has not been adequately addressed. Anterior and posterior circulation specimens from fresh autopsy material were studied under the magnification of a dissecting microscope and proliferative vasa vasorum was found to be frequently associated with intrinsic atheromatous plaques. Vasa vasorum associated with an incidental large aneurysm supports the radiological literature demonstrating that many large and giant thick-walled aneurysms exhibit vascularized walls on contrast computed tomography scans. This information may aid in the preoperative assessment and possible repair of these aneurysms.