Walsh & Hoyt: History

The first description of aneurysmal dilation of the cerebral vessels dates to the mid-18th century. In 1907, C. F. Beadles delivered a lecture entitled ""Aneurisms of the Larger Cerebral Arteries"" to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, based on a review of 555 cases. He included two cases oflarge aneurysms that presented with progressive visual loss and bitemporal visual field defects. Other cases were characterized by progressive optic atrophy, retinal hemorrhages associated with headache, and ""double optic neuritis."" Oculomotor nerve dysfunction, now considered the most frequent neuro-ophthalmologic sign of aneurysmal pathology, was recognized in several early cases. Other early authors recognized that cavernous sinus involvement could produce ophthalmoplegia as well as impairment of trigeminal nerve function.