FIG 1. Geometry of aneurysm and parent vessel, shown in anteroposterior (left column) and lateral (right column) views.

A and B, Maximum intensity projections obtained through the CT reconstructed data illustrate the geometrical complexity of the aneurysm and parent vessel. Angled arrows identify blebs on the right and posterior sides of the aneurysm sac. Horizontal arrows point to an apparent stenosis of the petrous segment, which may be attributed to compression of the vessel against adjacent bone.

C and D, Corresponding views of the finite element mesh show the geometric faithfulness and spatial resolution of the CFD model; for clarity, only the corner nodes of the quadratic finite elements are shown. Note the model coordinate system: ± x = left/right, ± y = anterior/posterior, ± z = superior/inferior.