Histopathologic findings in cerebral artery aneurysms after embolization with Guglielmi detachable platinum coils (GDC): report of two cases

Following embolization with Guglielmi detachable coils the histomorphologic al findings and tissue reactions of two cerebral artery aneurysms were exam ined. Methods: In order to study GDCs in situ a giant wide-necked aneurysm of the basilar artery (autopsy case; 14 days after embolization) and a resected a neurysm of the middle cerebral artery (resection; 6.5 months after emboliza tion) were embedded in acrylate, cut in thin sections glued on acrylic slid es, then grounded to about 10 mu m thickness and finally stained with tolui dine blue. Results: With the above-described method GDCs became amenable to histopatho logic studies. The coils were more densely packed within the dome than the central lumen. In the resected aneurysm this feature was particularly promi nent in that the GDCs were embedded in scarred connective tissue. Few giant cells of the foreign body type were found intimately associated with the G DCs.