Computational fluid dynamics based hemodynamics in the management of intracranial aneurysms: state-of-the-art

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are increasingly found in clinical practice due to widely used advanced imaging examinations. However, the mechanism of development, growth, rupture, and recurrence of IAs remains unknown. Rupture of IAs results in subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Assessment of intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) holds great promise in the management of IAs. Hemodynamic factors have a critical role in the formation, progression, and recurrence of aneurysms, thus having great potential to guide the decision-making in clinical practice. This review describes current evidence of CFD-based hemodynamics in assessing the formation, growth, rupture, and recurrence of aneurysms. The challenges and future directions of the clinical implementations of CFD are briefly discussed.