I recently posted about my experience and have a new update that has left me rather confused and worried. Last yr I had an MRA which showed a right posterior communicating artery aneurysm. This was followed by a CTA which showed no aneurysm, so I was quite confused by this. It has been 6 months since those scans, and I recently went for another MRA just for extra measure. I was so relieved when my neurosurgeon's nurse called and said there was no aneurysm and that everything was okay. I asked if they could mail the report. I received it today and it stated that I had an infundibulum in the same spot where the aneurysm was thought to be. My doc didn't say to follow up or monitor this, but after doing some online research, it seems that this could develop into an aneurysm. Does anyone have any info about these? Thanks so much!
I would call the neurosurgeons office and ask what is the follow up recommended on infundibulum. ~
Hi DianeLucy,
After being treated for an aneurysm on my Left P-Com artery ....I found another had formed on the right P-Com artery 8 years later...this one ruptured. In my diagnostic reports from 1998, the Radiology report was very clear in that I had a very "prominent" Infundibulum on my Right P-com artery , but it was not "'yet an aneurysm. "...I was never informed about this finding actually, and years after the rupture is when I learned that they (the doctors from 1998) , knew about this - way back then.
I've never quite understood the logic used on this particular issue--and why on earth it was NOT noted as an aneurysm (or at least one that was likely to form?) is beyond comprehension.
According to a Neurosurgeon I saw in November 2013, his description of what an Infundibulum is was basicly a 'birth defect', which would turn into a full fledged aneurysm eventually....
Hope this helps, Peace,
Janet
Thanks Janet! I appreciate you sharing your story with me. I am so baffled. My neurosurgeon is one of the top surgeons in my state. His nurse told me that there is no aneurysm and that my blood vessels are just large. They said nothing about being monitored or followed or repeating scans. They didn't seem to be concerned, but from everything I've read it would seem that infundibulums could potentially be dangerous.
I still consider it baffling ! Even after I sought clarification from the last Neurosurgoun...I'm still unclear as to why an Infundibulum isn't 'watched'--and the neurosurgoun said this so completely unfazed and matter-of-fact like, (like doesn't everybody know this?? lol) and his quick response to what an Infundibulum was and what one is considered to be (having had it since birth and such) it really threw me ! I didn't even think to ask the obvious question of "why the hell aren't they watched like an aneurysm would be watched!?" If you find out anything else about your Infundibulum, let me know--I just hope yours stays an Infundibulum!!
Peace,
Thanks Janet! I will def keep you posted. I am going to send my scans to another neurosurg that I met with last summer when all of this started to get his opinion. I totally agree with what you're saying. At first, I thought this was just an anatomical structure that was normal, but after much research I see that these can become aneurysms. I think I need someone to hide my computer from me to keep me from looking this up...lol. Do you know...do all infundibulums eventually turn into aneurysms or is it possible an infundib will always be an infundib (so tired of typing that word out...lol) And can an infundib rupture or would it have to turn into an aneurysm before it can rupture? So many questions. Still waiting for the doc's office to call me back.