Current implications for the efficacy of noninvasive screening for occult intracranial aneurysms in patients with a family history of aneurysms

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Although the technology exists for accurate noninvasive screening for intracranial aneurysms, the efficacy of screening depends on several key parameters of the natural history of aneurysms. Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of intracranial aneurysms may reach 20% in the subpopulation of patients with a family history of these lesions; other key parameters are less certain. The authors investigated factors that impact the efficacy of screening to establish interim guidelines. Three plausible models for the natural history of aneurysms were constructed. For each model the monetary cost of screening and the average gain in life expectancy were computed for a range of screening ages and prevalence rates. It is shown that the efficacy of screening depends on the pattern of aneurysm rupture. If aneurysms develop and rupture rapidly, then screening has no benefit. On the other hand, if aneurysms remain at risk for some time after formation, then screening may improve average life expectancy depending on when it occurs. The authors recommend that patients with a positive family history of aneurysms who are 30 years of age or younger be screened. This recommendation is based on the belief that the gains attributable to screening, assuming a constant rupture rate, outweigh the losses attributable to screening using a decreasing rupture rate model.