Definition:
A cerebral aneurism occurs when the cerebral artery's wall weakens, causing the blood vessel to balloon abnormally and be filled with blood. This aneurism may put pressure on the tissue surrounding the brain, or the nearby nerves; it can also result in a rupture, called a brain hemorrhage. These can occur anywhere in the brain, but usually in the under part of the brain by the skull's base known as the Circle of Willis. When cerebral aneurisms are very small, they can go on without causing any problems.
Treatment:
Treatment varies according to the grade of the aneurism, and whether it has burst or not. Other factors to be considered are the patient's health, age, family and personal medical history, the aneurism type and size. Surgical options are available in treating cerebral aneurisms: microvascular clipping, endovascular embolization, and occlusion.
Symptoms and Signs:
The symptoms of a cerebral aneurism depend on its size. While it is small, it shows no symptoms, until the time they are large and are about to burst. When the aneurism grows larger, it begins to put pressure on surrounding tissue or nerves. Before a rupture, patients can feel severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, vision impairment, and they can also lose consciousness or even enter into a coma. Other symptoms are paralysis on one side of the face, numbness, and dilated pupils.
Causes:
Cerebral aneurisms are usually congenital in nature, because the people who have it are often born with the abnormality in the artery wall. A person's health can also bring about the condition, such as when he or she has had previous head trauma, tumors, infections, suffers from high blood pressure, or has atherosclerosis. Cerebral aneurisms are also found to be more common in people who have genetic disease such as polycystic kidney disease, connective tissue disorders, and some circulatory disorders. External factors such as cigarette smoking and drug abuse can also cause a person to have cerebral aneurisms.
Effects:
When the cerebral aneurism ruptures, this causes more dangers as it can lead to a hemorrhage or hematoma, and either of these can result in a stroke. During some cases, a patient will experience a seizure when the aneurism has burst. A warning headache, called a “sentinel”, is sometimes experienced by patients prior to the rupture. This type of headache is usually described by people as the worst they have experienced in their life, and once they do get it, they should seek immediate medical attention.
The information on this site is for research purposes only and can not substitute for the advice of a medical professional. Ailments.com is not run by doctors and does not engage in the practice of medicine. Our site is not a medical authority, it is just a research tool for you to use in preparation for consulting with a doctor. We can not guarantee our information is accurate or up to date. Even if a statement made about a medical condition is accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms, so you should always consult a doctor. Nothing on our site should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a medical opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine.
