What is Brain Aneurysm?

A brain aneurysm is a weak spot on the wall of a blood vessel in the brain. Sometimes, it can rupture and cause bleeding known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Imagine a thin, stretched-out area on a balloon—that's similar to what happens with a brain aneurysm.

Because blood keeps flowing through the vessel, the weak spot can get bigger and form a bulge, almost like a bubble. Sometimes, it can grow to the size of a small berry.

Even though the term sounds scary, most brain aneurysms do not cause symptoms or health problems. Many people live their whole lives without knowing they have one. However, sometimes an aneurysm can grow, leak, or burst. If this happens, it can cause a type of bleeding in the brain called a hemorrhagic stroke, which needs urgent medical attention.

Who is affected by brain aneurysms?

Brain aneurysms can occur at any age, but they most commonly affect those between the ages of 30 and 60. More females than males have them, although this term may be different from the gender that was assigned to them at birth.

What are the symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm?

Most of the unruptured brain aneurysms do not have any symptoms. This is especially true for small ones. Imaging tests done to diagnose other diseases may detect brain aneurysms.

Rupture of an aneurysm is very fatal and usually triggers severe headaches. In addition to this, the unruptured aneurysm can lead to pain and other symptoms in case it rubs against the nerves or tissue of the brain.

Aneurysm rupture

The most typical symptom of an aneurysm rupture is a sudden, severe headache. Patients often report that it is the worst headache they have ever experienced.

Besides a headache, a ruptured aneurysm can produce the following symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Queasiness
• Stiff neck
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Seizure
• Droopy eyelid
• Unconsciousness
• Confusion

Leaking aneurysm

Aneurysms may sometimes leak a small quantity of blood. A more significant rupture often takes place after this. Leaks can occur days or weeks prior to a rupture.

Symptoms of a leaking brain aneurysm may include:

• A sudden, severe headache that may persist for a few days or even two weeks.

Unruptured aneurysm

• If an unruptured brain aneurysm is small, it is possible for it not to manifest any symptoms. A bigger unruptured aneurysm, however may compress the brain tissues as well as the nerves.

Symptoms that can occur from an unruptured brain aneurysm include:

• Pain behind and on one side of the eye.
• Dilated pupil
• Double vision or seeing things out of the corner of the eye
• Numb to one side of the face.

What causes brain aneurysms?

Brain aneurysms result from structural changes in the walls of brain arteries. These changes lead to a reduction in the strength and thickness of the arterial walls. Although the wall may thicken and cause the deformity, trauma or inflammation may also create the deformity without weakening.

The exact process that leads to aneurysm formation remains unknown. However, one or a combination of the following factors is believed to facilitate their formation:

• An elastic tissue breakdown within the artery.
• Stress due to flow of blood through the artery.
• Changes of the tissue inside the artery in response to increase in inflammation.

Aneurysms in the brain are also more likely to occur in areas where arteries diverge. This is because arteries are inherently weaker there.

Inheritance may be associated with the presence of aneurysms. Most of the time, however, they develop in your lifetime. We will discuss several risk factors below that might be responsible for this.

How is brain aneurysms diagnosed?

Most people who have an unruptured brain aneurysm don't know it's there. A doctor may discover one when doing a brain imaging exam, such as an MRI or CT scan, for another medical condition.

You should seek the emergency department if you are experiencing symptoms of a brain aneurysm, including a severe headache. A medical practitioner will prescribe tests to determine if a brain aneurysm has ruptured. These tests might include:

• To know if blood has entered your brain, a doctor will often request a CT (computed tomography) scan as the first imaging test. A CT scan makes images of a cross-section of your body using computers and X-rays. Providers may use a CT angiography, known as CTA, which is a test to create finer pictures of blood flow in the arteries in your brain. CTA can display size, position, and form of the aneurysm and even whether it ruptured or not.
• An MRI is performed using a computer, radio waves, and a large magnet, which take detailed pictures of your brain. MRA allows one to define the size, location, and form of an aneurysm by creating a detailed picture of the arteries within the brain.
• A neurosurgeon or interventional neuroradiologist will insert a catheter into a blood vessel in your wrist or groin during a cerebral angiography procedure. To get a clearer view of the arteries in your brain and neck, they thread it to your brain. This imaging can identify artery blockages in your neck or brain. Moreover, it can identify a weak point in an artery, such as an aneurysm. Providers use this test to determine the cause of bleeding in your brain and the exact location, size, and shape of an aneurysm.
• Cerebrospinal fluid analysis measures the chemicals in the fluid surrounding and protecting your brain and spinal cord. A healthcare professional usually gets a sample of CSF through a spinal tap, which is also referred to as a lumbar puncture. Analysis may detect bleeding in the space around your brain.

How are aneurysms in the brain treated?

The main goal of treatment is to cut off or reduce the flow of blood into the brain aneurysm. If your brain aneurysm has started to leak or has ruptured, you need emergency surgery. Whether you need treatment depends on your condition, if you have an unruptured aneurysm.

Based on your vascular anatomy, the size and location of the aneurysm, and a number of other variables, your healthcare team will be able to decide the best course of action for you.

Usually, ruptured aneurysms take more time to recover compared to unruptured ones.

Micro vascular cutting to treat aneurysms in the brain

During this procedure, a neurosurgeon makes a tiny incision in your skull to reach the aneurysm. The neurosurgeon uses a tiny microscope and tools to pinch off the aneurysm by attaching a small metal clip at its base. This way, blood cannot enter the aneurysm. The procedure can prevent an intact aneurysm from growing or rupturing, or it can stop a brain haemorrhage.

Unruptured aneurysms usually recover in two to four weeks, whereas ruptured aneurysms might take several weeks to months. Totally clipped aneurysms generally cease bleeding (recur).

The treatments for aneurysms in the brain are explained below.

Reduction or elimination of blood supply to the aneurysm in the brain is the basic aim of the treatment. For a leaking or ruptured aneurysm in the brain, emergency surgery is required. Whether you would need treatment or not depends upon your condition and whether you have an unruptured aneurysm.

Based on your vascular anatomy, the size and location of the aneurysm, and a number of other variables, your healthcare team will determine the best course of action for you.

Generally speaking, ruptured aneurysms take longer to recover from than unruptured ones.

Endovascular coiling for aneurysms of the brain

To perform this surgery, a neurosurgeon or interventional neuroradiologist places a catheter a flexible tube into your brain by accessing a blood vessel, usually through your wrist or groin. Through the catheter, the doctor places a small coil of soft wire into the aneurysm.

A clot forms due to the modification of the flow pattern of the blood within an aneurysm when a coil is delivered into the sac by the provider. Like an occlusive clip, this thrombus acts by excluding blood into the aneurysm.

Stents divert blood flow to support the brain aneurysms.

To accomplish this procedure, a neurosurgeon or interventional neuroradiologist threads a catheter to your brain through a blood artery in your wrist or groin. The medical professional then passes the mesh tube through the catheter into the area of the blood vessel where the aneurysm is located. Instead of sending blood flow into the aneurysm, the mesh encourages or redirects it.

Additional treatments for a ruptured brain aneurysm

Your healthcare providers will use additional treatments to treat your symptoms and work to prevent complications if you have a ruptured aneurysm. These treatments may include:

• Anti-seizure medications: These medications can help stop seizures caused by a ruptured aneurysm.
• Calcium channel blockers: These medications can reduce your chances of having a stroke by preventing vasospasm.
• Shunt: A shunt is a tube that allows CSF to be moved from the brain to another location in the body. It can help prevent hydrocephalus.

Often, individuals who have experienced an aneurysm rupture require physical, speech, and occupational therapy to regain function and learn new ways to function with any permanent disability.

How can I reduce my risk of having an aneurysm?

Some risk factors of brain aneurysms like age or genetic disorders are inevitable or not possibly avoided. However, you can cut down the possibilities of developing an aneurysm in the brain by doing the following:

• Maintain normal blood pressure with the help of drugs or lifestyle changes.
• Either not smoking or quitting it.
• Avoiding cocaine and other stimulants and receiving treatment for alcohol and/or drug use disorders.

What is the prognosis for a ruptured brain aneurysm?

The prognosis (outlook) for a ruptured brain aneurysm depends on several factors, including:

• Your overall health and age.
• If you have any pre-existing neurological conditions.
• The location of the aneurysm.
• The severity of the bleeding from the aneurysm.
• How quickly you received treatment.
• If the treatment of the aneurysm was successful.

When a brain aneurysm ruptures, over 25% of victims pass away within 24 hours. Within three months after the rupture, complications claim the lives of almost 50% of patients.
About 66% of survivors suffer irreversible brain injury. Some recover with minimal or no impairment.

Can someone with a brain aneurysm lead a long life?

Many persons with minor unruptured brain aneurysms have no symptoms and they are also healthy.

On the contrary, ruptured brain aneurysms are associated with an extremely high rate of death.

When should I discuss a brain aneurysm with my doctor?

You should discuss the presence of a brain aneurysm with your doctor.

You need to visit your doctor regularly if you have an unruptured brain aneurysm in order to control any risk factors that may be contributing to the size of the aneurysm, such as high blood pressure.

You need to see your medical team regularly if you have ever had a ruptured brain aneurysm so that you can watch for complications and make sure that you don't get another one.

Why Choose Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Brain Aneurysm Treatment in Lucknow, India?

Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital offers advanced Brain Aneurysm treatment in Lucknow, India, at an affordable cost. We have a team of experienced neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiology specialists who provide accurate diagnosis and both non-surgical and surgical treatment options including endovascular coiling, surgical clipping, and comprehensive neurological monitoring procedures. Our Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology team has decades of experience in successfully treating Brain Aneurysm in Lucknow, India.

To seek an Expert Consultation for Brain Aneurysm Treatment in Lucknow, India:

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

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