Cerebral Aneurysm

What is Cerebral Aneurysm?

As per statistics, the annual incidence of Cerebral Aneurysms is between 6 and 16/100,000 population. That is, roughly 76,500-204,100 new cases are reported in India each year.

A cerebral aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm or an intracranial aneurysm, refers to the abnormal or weak spot on a blood vessel that triggers ballooning or outward bulging of the arterial wall. The bulged aneurysm may exert pressure on a nerve and the surrounding tissues of the brain. In rare cases, the balloon might rupture and blood may spill into the surrounding tissues, causing a haemorrhage. A cerebral aneurysm generally occurs in the network of blood vessels at the base of the brain, also called the circle of Willis.


There are three types of Cerebral Aneurysms, known as Saccular Aneurysm, Lateral Aneurysm and Fusiform Aneurysm. All of these different kinds of aneurysms have their own kind of intensity of occurrence.

Symptoms

The small Cerebral Aneurysms have no symptoms but as they enlarge, they might press the nerves and tissues. This pressure can cause blurred vision, weakness, numbness of a leg or arm, seizures, and difficulty with speech and memory. The symptoms of the ruptured cerebral aneurysms appear suddenly. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you must seek medical help immediately.

  • A severe and sudden headache
  • Neck pain
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Seizures

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Causes

Most of the probable causes of this disease include:

  • Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
  • Aging
  • Unreasonable sickness

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Risks

The main risk factors include:

  • Race
  • Gender
  • Fluctuating blood pressure
  • Family history
  • Smoking
  • Previous aneurysm

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Prevention

One can simply avoid the occurrence of this disease by:

  • Avoiding smoke
  • Controlling high blood pressure
  • Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
  • Stopping the recreational drug use

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How is it diagnosed?

If your doctor suspects that you may have a Cerebral Aneurysm, you may have to undergo the following medical examinations at Medanta:

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How is it treated?

At Medanta, our expert doctors may employ certain techniques to treat Cerebral Aneurysms, which include:

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  • Medical therapy

    For small and unruptured aneurysms, which are causing no symptoms, treatment is not required unless they grow bigger, show symptoms or rupture. But it's mandatory for a patient to get regular check-ups to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and other medical conditions and imaging tests to ensure that no change in their size is going unnoticed.

  • Surgeries

    There are two surgical options to treat Cerebral Aneurysms:

     

    • Endovascular Embolization: A catheter is inserted into the affected artery through the groin and threads positioned near an aneurysm. By using a guide wire, detachable coils are transported through the catheter and released into an aneurysm. The coils fill the Cerebral Aneurysms and block circulation. This, in turn, causes blood to clot, which destroys an aneurysm.
    • Microvascular clipping: This surgery aims to cut off the blood flow to an aneurysm. The surgeon removes the section of the skull to access an aneurysm and locate the blood vessel feeding the aneurysm. Then the doctor puts a small metal clip on the neck of an aneurysm to stop the flow of blood.

When do I contact the doctor?

You should immediately see a doctor when you experience symptoms such as seizure, nausea, headache and even loss of consciousness, because it might cause you to have either of the three types aneurysm, and might even affect your routine movement.

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