@article {Vindlacheruvu234, author = {R R Vindlacheruvu and A D Mendelow and P Mitchell}, title = {Risk{\textendash}benefit analysis of the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms}, volume = {76}, number = {2}, pages = {234--239}, year = {2005}, doi = {10.1136/jnnp.2003.031930}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Objectives: To determine under what circumstances repair of unruptured intracranial aneurysms may be beneficial. Methods: A life expectancy analysis of patients with unruptured aneurysms with and without repair based on prospective data from the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA). Results: Life years are lost at all ages by repairing anterior circulation aneurysms under 7 mm in diameter in patients with no history of a subarachnoid haemorrhage from another aneurysm (incidental). For all other aneurysms the number of life years saved by repair is dependent on the patient{\textquoteright}s age at the time when repair is undertaken. Between 2 and 40 years are saved by repairing aneurysms in patients aged 20 years. These benefits fall to 0 when remaining life expectancy falls below 15{\textendash}35 years, corresponding to the age range of 45{\textendash}70 years. Conclusions: Repair of unruptured aneurysms benefits patients harbouring them by improving life expectancy except in certain circumstances. The exceptions are patients with remaining life expectancy less than 15{\textendash}35 years or aged 45{\textendash}70 (depending on aneurysm size and location) and patients with aneurysms of the anterior circulation under 7 mm in diameter with no history of a previous subarachnoid haemorrhage. These results are based on the findings of the ISUIA and are dependent on their accuracy.}, issn = {0022-3050}, URL = {https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/76/2/234}, eprint = {https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/76/2/234.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery \& Psychiatry} }