Retrospective analysis of incidental and symptomatic cerebral aneurysms and cerebral vascular malformations in a Mongolian cohort of patients undergoing cerebral imaging between 01/2016 and 12/2017. Identification of risk factors in the Mongolian population for cerebral hemorrhage.

• Applicant: Dr. Matthias Bechstein, since 12/2018
• Subject Area: Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 411441105

Bleeding from ruptured cerebral aneurysms or vascular malformations are a common cause of neurological impairment or death. Frequency of cerebral aneurysms varies across ethnic groups. While in a European population-based screening study (Rotterdam Study), 1.8% of adult participants were diagnosed with an aneurysm on MRI, a cross-sectional study in China revealed a prevalence of 7%. The Mongolian population has so far not been subject of a population-based prevalence study. Since infrastructural and monetary reasons hinder such studies among this partly nomadic population, our project focuses on retrospective analysis of brain imaging data in the largest medical center of the country in Ulaanbaatar. Based on MRI and CT scans we intent to determine the frequency of incidental (non-ruptured) and symptomatic (ruptured) cerebral aneurysms among this cohort. In a second step we aim to identify ethnic- and lifestyle specific risk factors for aneurysm rupture among the Mongolian people.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Mongolia
• Partner Organisation: The Mongolian Academy of Sciences
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Jens Fiehler
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Tserenchunt Gansukh; Professorin Dr. Amarjargal Gansukh
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Jan Sedlacik, until 11/2018