Brain Aneurysm: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment (1)

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Brain Aneurysm
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Brain Aneurysm

• A brain aneurysm is an abnormal bulging or
  protruding of one of the arteries inside the
  brain. It is a medical condition that is
  characterised by abnormal widening or ballooning
  of a blood vessel in the brain, which has
  weakened over time. It mainly develops at the
  junctions of the large arteries present at the
  base of the brain, in a region called the Circle
  of Willis. When the blood vessel gets ruptured,
  it causes bleeding into the brain or the space
  closely surrounding it (called the subarachnoid
  space), thereby, leading to a subarachnoid
  haemorrhage. It can be life-threatening and one
  should seek immediate medical attention. However,
  most of them remain small and never become an
  issue and usually get detected during tests for
  other conditions.

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Causes of brain aneurysm 

• A brain aneurysm is an acquired problem i.e., it
  is not present from birth but develops over time.
  However, some of the probable causes are 
• Neurofibromatosis Neurofibromatosis is a genetic
  disorder of the nervous system that dominantly
  affects the growth and development of neural or
  nerve cell tissues that causes tumours to grow on
  the nerve.
• Tobacco Consumption Chewing tobacco or smoking
  is another factor that primarily increases the
  risk of this disorder. In fact, studies show that
  non-smokers have nearly 10 times more potential
  to sustain a rupture than a smoker.
• High Blood Pressure The risk of subarachnoid
  haemorrhage or rupture is more in people with a
  history of high blood pressure (hypertension).
• High Cholesterol Although the effect of high
  cholesterol remains unclear, some studies show
  that it can also lead to the rupturing of the
  aneurysm.
• Alcohol Abuse Moderate to high level
  of alcohol abuse is another factor contributing
  to a rupture.

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Symptoms

• Usually there are no symptoms however, some of
  the probable ones are given below
• Severe headaches
• Peripheral vision deficits
• Perceptual problems
• Thinking or processing problems
• Speech complications
• Short-term memory difficulty
• Sudden changes in behaviour
• Decreased concentration
• Loss of balance and coordination
• Fatigue

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Diagnosis of brain aneurysm

• The diagnosis generally includes the following
  tests
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan To detect bleeding
  in the brain.
• Computed Tomography Angiogram (CTA) scan To
  locate the actual site of the aneurysm.
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) To obtain
  images or pictures of blood vessels.
• Cerebral Angiogram It is an X-ray test, employed
  to locate small (less than 5 mm) aneurysms.

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Treatments

• The treatment involves repairing the affected
  blood vessels. Coil embolisation and surgical
  clipping are the two main surgeries used to cure
  this disorder. Coil embolisation is a procedure
  in which a small tube is inserted into the
  affected artery. Tiny metal coils are then moved
  through the tube into the aneurysm, thereby
  easing pressure and reducing its probability to
  rupture. This procedure is less invasive and more
  effective than surgical clipping. Surgical
  clipping is another method, where a tiny metal
  clip is placed around the base of the aneurysm to
  isolate it from normal blood circulation. It also
  relieves the pressure and keeps it from
  rupturing. A brain aneurysm can be
  life-threatening, if left untreated for long. The
  main dangers are suffering from a stroke or in
  extreme cases, death, especially if it ruptures
  and bleeds. However, its survival rates can
  increase by immediate hospitalisation and early
  detection. Potential blood vessel spasms need to
  be controlled with medications as soon as
  possible.

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