Saccular Aneurysm - Erler Zimmer 3D anatomy Series MP2013

This dissection model highlighting a saccular aneurysm is part of the exclusive Monash 3D anatomy series, a comprehensive series of human dissections reproduced with ultra-high resolution color 3D printing.

Clinical history

Five days before admission, this 38-year-old woman manifested the sudden onset of pain behind her right eye, associated with a slow development of weakness in her left leg. Examination revealed left hemiparesis in a confused hypertensive woman. There was also right hemianopsia and weakness of the right 6th cranial nerve. Clonus was present at the left ankle and knee, and the left plantar reflex was up. Lumbar puncture showed increased pressure and fluid was blood-stained. Angiography revealed an intracerebral aneurysm. This was cut during the operation, but the day after the operation the patient died suddenly.

Pathology

The specimen shows the basal surface of the brain. There is a 5 mm diameter saccular aneurysm at the junction of the right internal carotid artery and the posterior communicating artery, which has ruptured. There is subarachnoid blood in the immediate vicinity of the cisterna magna and on the inferior surface of the right frontal lobe. There is a similar unruptured aneurysm on the left side. The right frontal lobe appears softer and more friable anteriorly

Further information

Posterior communicating artery aneurysms are the third most common Circle of Willis aneurysm and can lead to compression and paralysis of nearby cranial nerves, such as the VI in this case. The proximity of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve to the ruptured aneurysm may also in this patient explain the sudden onset of "behind the eye" pain. The visual field defect is most likely due to compression of the right optic tract. The clinical manifestations of stroke are a consequence of the territory of the cerebral cortex whose vascular supply is compromised due to the ruptured aneurysm

What advantages does the Monash University anatomical dissection collection offer over plastic models or plastinated human specimens?

• Each body replica has been carefully created from selected patient X-ray data or human cadaver specimens selected by a highly trained team of anatomists at the Monash University Center for Human Anatomy Education to illustrate a range of clinically important areas of anatomy with a quality and fidelity that cannot be achieved with conventional anatomical models-this is real anatomy, not stylized anatomy.
• Each body replica has been rigorously checked by a team of highly trained anatomists at the Center for Human Anatomy Education, Monash University, to ensure the anatomical accuracy of the final product.
• The body replicas are not real human tissue and therefore not subject to any barriers of transportation, import, or use in educational facilities that do not hold an anatomy license. The Monash 3D Anatomy dissection series avoids these and other ethical issues that are raised when dealing with plastinated human remains.