Hemodynamic characterization of geometric cerebral aneurysm templates treated with embolic coils

Embolic coiling is one of the most effective treatments for cerebral aneurysms (CAs), largely due to the hemodynamic modifications that the treatment effects in the aneurysmal environment. However, coiling can have very different hemodynamic outcomes in aneurysms with different geometries. Previous work in the field of biofluid mechanics has demonstrated on a general level that geometry is a driving factor behind aneurysmal hemodynamics. The goal of this study was to relate two specific geometric factors that describe CAs (i.e., dome size (DS) and parent-vessel contact-angle (PV-CA)) and one factor that describes treatment (i.e., coil packing density (PD)) to three clinically relevant hemodynamic responses (i.e., aneurysmal root-mean-square velocity (Vrms), aneurysmal wall shear stress (WSS), and cross-neck flow (CNF)). Idealized models of basilar tip aneurysms were created in both virtual and physical forms to satisfy two-level multifactorial experimental designs. Steady and pulsatile flow hemodynamics were then evaluated in the virtual models using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) (before and after virtual treatment with finite element (FE) embolic coil models), and hemodynamics were also evaluated in the physical models using particle image velocimetry (PIV) (before and after treatment with actual embolic coils). Results showed that among the factors considered, PD made the greatest contributions to effects on hemodynamic responses in and around the aneurysmal sac (i.e., Vrms and WSS), while DS made the greatest contributions to effects on hemodynamics at the neck (i.e., CNF). Results also showed that while a geometric factor (e.g., PV-CA) may play a relatively minor role in dictating hemodynamics in the untreated case, the same factor can play a much greater role after coiling. We consider the significance of these findings in the context of aneurysmal recurrence and rupture, and explore potential roles for the proposed methods in endovascular treatment planning.