Coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms in patients with sickling disorders

In patients with sickle cell disease cerebral aneurysm formation is thought to be a complication of recurrent red cell sickling, and multiple aneurysm s have been reported in these patients. Management of patients with suspect ed cerebral aneurysm has traditionally involved cerebral vessel angiography followed by craniotomy and aneurysmal clipping. In patients without sickle cell disease, non-operative intervention in the form of endovascular coil embolization is increasingly being used to ablate aneurysms, but has not th us far been reported in patients with sickle cell disease. We report two pa tients with sickling disorders who have undergone coil embolization of cere bral aneurysms with good functional and radiological outcomes. These patien ts illustrate that endovascular coiling is useful in the treatment of cereb ral aneurysms associated with sickling disorders, although, as with surgica l intervention, preparation with exchange transfusion is appropriate.