Ruptured aneurysm of the artery of Adamkiewicz: is conservative management the standard of treatment in the current era?

Spinal aneurysms are rare lesions, and their natural history is not well known. In particular, aneurysms arising from the artery of Adamkiewicz (AA) are an extremely rare phenomenon, and given the lack of solid evidence its management remains unclear. We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A spinal angiogram demonstrated a fusiform aneurysm arising from the AA. Based on the location, the absence of evident collateral circulation to the anterior spinal artery, and the available literature supporting spontaneous thrombosis, we opted for conservative management. Fifteen days after the diagnosis, a spinal angiogram demonstrated complete occlusion of the aneurysm with no visualization of the AA. At 10-month follow-up, the patient was able to walk without assistance. Management should be done on a case-by-case basis with the goal of preserving spinal cord perfusion. Similar to previous articles, our report reinforces conservative management as a valid strategy. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.