Brain Aneurysm
- A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain.
- That area of the blood vessel gets worn out from constant flow of blood and bulges out, almost like a bubble.
- It can grow to the size of a small berry.
- A brain aneurysm can leak or rupture, causing bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
- A ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life-threatening and requires prompt medical treatment.
- There are different types:
Saccular aneurysms
- They are the most common type of brain aneurysm.
- They bulge out in a dome shape from the main artery.
- They’re connected to that artery by a narrow “neck.”
Fusiform aneurysms
- They aren’t as common as saccular aneurysms.
- They don’t pouch out in a dome shape.
- Instead, they make a widened spot in the blood vessel.
Symptoms
The type of symptoms you have from a brain aneurysm depend on whether it ruptures or not. Ruptured brain aneurysm symptoms include:
- Intense headache that comes on suddenly
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Loss of balance in things like walking and normal coordination
- Stiff neck
- Dilated pupils
- Sensitivity to light
- Sudden blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelid
- Confusion or trouble with mental awareness
- Seizure
Causes
- The causes of brain aneurysm are unknown, but a range of factors may increase your risk.
- These risk factors are:
- Older age
- Cigarette smoking
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Drug abuse, particularly the use of cocaine
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Some types of aneurysms may occur after a head injury (dissecting aneurysm) or from certain blood infections (mycotic aneurysm).
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis tests include:
- Computerized tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Cerebrospinal fluid test
- Cerebral angiogram
Treatment
- There are two common treatment options for a ruptured brain aneurysm.
Surgical clipping
- It is a procedure to close off an aneurysm.
Endovascular coiling
- This treatment is a less invasive procedure than surgical clipping.
Both procedures pose potential risks, particularly bleeding in the brain or loss of blood flow to the brain.
- The endovascular coil is less invasive and may be initially safer, but it may have a slightly higher risk of need for a repeat procedure in the future due to reopening of the aneurysm
Newer Treatments
Newer treatments include – flow diverters and tubular stent-like.
Other Treatments
- Other treatments for ruptured brain aneurysms are aimed at relieving symptoms and managing complications include:
- Interventions to prevent stroke from insufficient blood flow
- Calcium channel blockers
- Pain killers
- Anti-seizure medications
- Ventricular or lumbar draining catheters and shunt surgery
- Rehabilitative therapy