Coincidental aneurysms with tumours of pituitary origin

Abstract

Angiographic studies on 150 pituitary adenomas and 33 craniopharyngiomas presenting for surgical treatment are reviewed. Eleven incidental silent aneurysms (four arising from the intracavernous and four from the supraclinoid carotid artery, and three from the anterior cerebral artery complex) are shown. Intracavernous aneurysms were also present in two acromegalic patients who had been treated previously with yttrium implantation. Although encasement of vessels by these tumours is unusual, the relevance of vascular abnormalities to surgical treatment is sufficient to justify routine magnification angiography.