A Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for the Formation of de novo Intracranial Aneurysms

Neurosurgery, Volume 85 (4) 2019, 454–465

Understanding the risk factors for the formation of de novo intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is important for patients who have ever suffered a cerebral aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk factors for the development of a de novo IA to identify which patients need more aggressive surveillance after aneurysm treatment.

METHODS: We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and metaanalyses guidelines and searched the PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, and LILACS databases using the key words cerebral aneurysms, de novo, IAs, risk factors combined using and/or. The search was performed in July 2017.We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using RevMan 5.3 (Cochrane, London, United Kingdom) to evaluate risk factors. Statistical significance was set at P < .05.

RESULTS: The analysis included 14 studies involving 6389 patients, of whom 197 patients had de novo IAs. The main risk factors for formation included sex (OR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.30,2.56], P = .0005, female vs male), age <40 yr (OR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.76,4.96], P < .0001), family history (OR = 2.05, 95% CI [1.07,3.93], P = .03), smoking history (OR = 2.73, 95% CI [1.81,4.12], P < .0001), and multiple saccular intracranial aneurysms (sIAs) at first diagnosis (OR = 2.10, 95% CI [1.12,3.91], P = .02), internal carotid artery (ICA) as the initial site (OR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.43,4.68], P = .002). Heterogeneous analysis showed that these I 2 were less than 50% and the results were reliable.

CONCLUSION: Observational evidence identified multiple clinical and anatomic risk factors for the formation of de novo IAs, including female sex, age <40 yr, family history, smoking history, multiple sIAs at first diagnosis, and IC as the initial site. More aggressive long-term angiographic follow-up with digital subtraction angiography, computed tomography angiography, or magnetic resonance angiography is recommended for these patients.

%d bloggers like this: