Giant distal superior cerebellar artery aneurysm: case report and review of the literature.

Aneurysms arising from the distal portion of superior cerebellar artery are infrequently seen. They are usually assumed to result from local arterial wall disruption like proximal supratentorial artery aneurysms. Depending on institutional facilities, these particular aneurysms can be treated either by a microsurgical procedure or interventional radiological technique. In general, surgical clipping has been recommended for these lesions. In this report we describe a 44-year old man who presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage in the right cerebellopontine angle and was diagnosed with a giant aneurysm arising from the cisternal portion of the right superior cerebellar artery. The patient underwent surgery; microsurgical clipping of the aneurysm through subtemporal craniotomy was performed with no difficulty. We conclude that surgical therapy is suitable for the majority of aneurysms arising from the distal portion of the superior cerebellar artery.