Brain Aneurysms

A brain aneurysm happens when the wall of a blood vessel in the brain balloons out. A brain aneurysm can tear open and bleed into the brain. Brain aneurysms are a very serious condition that can cause devastating strokes or can even be fatal. Nobody knows exactly why aneurysms occur. A brain aneurysm may create pressure on and compress the brain causing weakness, blindness, and other neurological symptoms. An aneurysm may also cause a brain bleed, or hemorrhage, around the brain or into it. A high percentage of people who suffer from aneurysm rupture and bleeding do not survive. Many of the survivors go to nursing homes for the rest of their lives because of severe neurological problems. Since an aneurysm that bleeds can be dangerous, doctors may recommend treatment to prevent bleeding before it happens. Treatment may include - small coils and balloons that are used to block off the aneurysm from the main artery and prevent it from rupturing - a procedure that clips the aneurysm and stops it from bleeding The outcome is worse after a bleed. Therefore, it is recommended in many cases to go ahead and treat them before they bleed.

Introduction

Anatomy

The brain is the control center of the body. It is inside of and protected by the skull. The brain is fed by many blood vessels. An aneurysm is an abnormality of the blood vessel causing it to balloon. Nobody knows exactly why aneurysms occur. This ballooning causes the walls of the vessel to become thin and therefore more likely to bleed.

Symptoms and Their Causes

A brain aneurysm may create pressure on and compress the brain causing weakness, blindness, and other neurological symptoms. An aneurysm may also cause a brain bleed, or hemorrhage, around the brain or into it. A high percentage of people who suffer from aneurysm rupture and bleeding do not survive. Many of the survivors go to nursing homes for the rest of their lives because of severe neurological problems. An aneurysm may be discovered when a brain CAT scan or MRI is usually done after a patient complains from symptoms similar to those of brain aneurysms. This CAT scan shows a brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurysm. The white area is the area of bleeding.

Risk Factors

There are some factors that make a person more likely to develop a brain aneurysm. Some risk factors you are born with, others you may be able to control. AVMs are abnormal tangles of blood vessels, in which the arteries may connect directly to the veins without the intervening smaller vessels. Having an AVM can increase your risk of getting a brain aneurysm. Having a family member who has had a brain aneurysm increases your risk. Your risk increases as you get older. Smokers are at an increased risk. Drinking a lot of alcohol and abuse of drugs like cocaine can increase your risk. High blood pressure can make you more likely to develop a brain aneurysm.

Treatments Options

Very small aneurysms that have not ruptured may need no immediate treatment, just careful follow up. Since an aneurysm that bleeds can be dangerous, doctors may recommend treatment to prevent bleeding before it happens. Small coils and balloons may be used to treat aneurysms. These small coils and balloons are used to block off the aneurysm from the main artery and prevent it from rupturing. They are placed inside or near the aneurysm through special catheters threaded through the main arteries of the brain. This type of treatment is known as endovascular treatment.
The endovascular procedure is not for everyone. Your doctor will consider many factors including:

The size and location of the aneurysm,
If the aneurysm has bled,
The location of a bleed, if it happened,
Your age, and
Your overall medical condition.

An operation to “clip” the aneurysm may prevent bleeding. The clip isolates the aneurysm from the blood stream allowing it to deflate. This prevents bleeding and also takes the pressure off the surrounding brain. The clipping procedure is not meant to reverse the effect of any bleeding that may have occurred. It is instead meant to prevent any further bleeding.

Summary

Brain aneurysms are a very serious condition that may lead to a stroke or to death. The outcome is worse after a bleed. Therefore, it is recommended in many cases to go ahead and treat them before they bleed. Treatment for brain aneurysms that have not yet bled can relieve a variety of serious symptoms. It can even be life saving.