What is Cerebral Aneurysm?
Cerebral aneurysm is a blood-filled bump in a vessel. Pathology is asymptomatic in the body until it blows out. When an aneurysm bursts, a person feels a heavy headache – often it leads to death.
A vessel succumbed to blood pulsation pressure is rather weak. It causes formation of blister kind in one of its sections. During blood rush to aneurysm, it strains, increasing. When it bursts, blood enters right into the brain, provoking damages.
What causes cerebral aneurysm?
Scientists can’t say why aneurysm appears in brain. However, there are some factors having weakening effect on vessels:
- hypertension;
- smoking, drug use;
- if person went through blood poisoning;
- trauma of skull and brain;
- deposits of fat on vessels.
In addition, following categories of people are prone to have this pathology:
- group of 40-60 age;
- someone in family line suffers from it;
- genetic pathology affecting connective tissue (Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, etc.);
- birth disorder.
If close relatives had aneurysm, neurosurgery specialists recommend to conduct diagnosis with others. Risk is much higher if there are also associated defects.
Any process raising blood pressure leads to aneurysm rupture, in particular:
- constant stress or strong sudden emotions;
- heavy work with huge weights;
- high blood pressure without proper medical cure.
Cerebral aneurysm symptoms
Most common symptom of aneurysm cerebral is strong headache. Other warning signals:
- overly pupils;
- sharp vision modification;
- seizures;
- numbness feeling in face or scalp areas;
- pain in neck and areas around eyes;
- vomit.
A ruptured aneurysm shows up:
- prolonged headaches;
- sleepy state;
- stiffness in neck muscles;
- confusion, bouts of dizziness;
- difficulty with speech pronunciation;
- weak sensitivity in limbs, or its complete absence.
Cerebral aneurysm diagnosis and treatment
Aneurysm can be diagnosed using CT, MRI, and diagnostic cerebral angiogram. Additionally, sometimes doctors use MRA and computed resonance angiography. Through such methods, aneurysm sizes can be accurately determined.
Blown out pathology may not be visible on tests. However, if symptoms are obvious, doctor prescribes spinal cord puncture.
Cerebral aneurysm treatment includes such methods.
- Surgical intervention. In this way, both burst aneurysms and intact ones can be treated:
- surgeon gains access to formation by making skull hole. All tools that specialist uses are extremely small;
- aneurysm base is clamped, which allows blocking blood flow;
- procedure gives the most effective results.
- Endovascular therapy:
- skull integrity is not violated;
- catheter is inserted into vessel, preferably wrist is selected, then it’s brought to brain;
- wire coil is placed inside aneurysm for blocking blood admission and reduce rupture chance.
How serious is a cerebral aneurysm?
People can live for many, many years with intact aneurysm. Burst pathology has great danger. In case of rupture, person needs prompt medical reaction. If medical care is not provided, death from aneurysm cerebral rupture is likely in 75% of cases. A quarter of patients who have been assisted may also face fatal complications within six months.
