Prevalence of asymptomatic incidental aneurysms: review of 4568 arteriograms

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Abstract
Object. The prevalence of unruptured cerebral aneurysms is unknown, but is estimated to be as high as 5%. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic incidental aneurysms. Methods. The authors studied all cerebral arteriography reports produced at a single institution, the University of Virginia, between April 1969 and January 1980. A review of 3684 arteriograms demonstrated 24 cases of asymptomatic aneurysms, yielding a prevalence rate of 0.65%. The majority (67%) of the 24 patients harboring unruptured aneurysms were women. More than 90% of the unruptured aneurysms were located in the anterior circulation and in locations similar to those found in patients with ruptured aneurysms. Nearly 80% of the aneurysms were smaller than 1 cm in their greatest diameter. The frequency of asymmetrical unruptured aneurysms (0.6–1.5%) was constant throughout all relevant age ranges (35–84 years). Conclusions. While keeping in mind appropriate caveats in extrapolating from these data, the prev...