Aneurisms

A cerebral aneurysm is the dilation, bulging, or ballooning out of part of the wall of a vein or artery in the brain.  Cerebral aneurysms can occur at any age, although they are more common in adults than in children and are slightly more common in women than in men. Signs and symptoms of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm will partly depend on its size and rate of growth. A larger aneurysm that is steadily growing may produce symptoms such as loss of feeling in the face or problems with the eyes. Immediately before an aneurysm ruptures, an individual may experience such symptoms as a sudden and unusually severe headache (“the ‘worst’ headache ever”), nausea, vision impairment, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Emergency treatment for individuals with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm generally includes restoring deteriorating respiration and reducing intracranial pressure. Microvascular clipping is usually performed within the first 3 days to clip the ruptured aneurysm and to reduce the risk of rebleeding. Clipping has been shown to be highly effective, depending on the location, shape, and size of the aneurysm.  In general, aneurysms that are completely clipped surgically do not return. When aneurysms are discovered before rupture occurs, microcoil thrombosis or balloon embolization may be performed on patients for whom surgery is considered too risky. These procedures may have to be repeated throughout the patient’s lifetime.

A related procedure is an occlusion, in which the surgeon clamps off (occludes) the entire artery that leads to the aneurysm.  This procedure is often performed when an artery is damaged by a condition (for example, an aneurysm).  An occlusion is sometimes accompanied by a bypass in order to reroute the flow of blood away from the section of damaged artery.

The prognosis for a patient with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm depends on the extent and location of the aneurysm, the person's age, general health, and neurological condition.  Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important.