Not always symptomatic, if it breaks it can cause serious consequences. Surgery is one way to go, but it’s not the only one.
Not always symptomatic, if it breaks it can cause serious consequences. Surgery is one way to go, but it’s not the only one.
A blood vessel within the brain, usually an artery, dilates – this is how a brain aneurysm forms. This condition does not always manifest itself with obvious symptoms, but identifying it in time is crucial to preventing any serious damage.
Signs to watch out for
An aneurysm forms because the wall of a blood vessel is too weak and cannot withstand the pressure of the blood passing through it. When the artery gives way, it causes the bulge called an aneurysm.
An aneurysm does not always cause symptoms that are easy to spot, unless it is quite large in size. In this case, in fact, it could press against nerves and other areas of the brain, causing disorders such as:
- visual problems, such as doubled vision or visual field changes
- painful sensation in or around the eyes
- tingling or numbness on one side of the face
- difficulty speaking
- headache
- loss of balance
- difficulty concentrating or short-term memory problems.
Ask for free advice from a doctor right away
These signs represent a wake-up call not to be ignored absolutely. Consult your doctor immediately and follow his instructions.
How is it diagnosed?
The certain diagnosis of an aneurysm is obtained thanks to a series of tests, sometimes carried out for other reasons, which can lead to the discovery of a vascular swelling, making it visible to the doctor.
The techniques used are:
- CT scan of the brain, which can make it “suspect” its presence. Confirmation can be obtained with an angioTAC, or a CT scan performed with the injection of a contrast agent, a substance that allows you to view the aneurysm
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which occasionally allows to highlight the appearance of an aneurysm. Also in this case, angioRM, i.e. an MRI with the injection of a contrast medium, is essential to obtain the certainty of the diagnosis.
- cerebral angiography, which represents the litmus test for a certain diagnosis because it allows you to visualize the entire cerebral blood flow. It is done by introducing a catheter through the femoral artery, until it reaches the blood vessels inside the head. It is performed under local anesthesia.
Ask for free advice from a doctor right away
What to do after the diagnosis?
The aneurysm itself does not pose an immediate health hazard. The real problem is if the bulge wall breaks, allowing blood to invade the brain tissue. In this case, a real hemorrhage occurs, which can cause very serious damage, depending on the extent and duration.
Once the aneurysm has been identified, there are three ways to choose:
- keep it under periodic close observation
- intervene with drugs that reduce blood pressure
- schedule surgery.
Ask for free advice from a doctor right away
Isolate the aneurysm with a clip
When the neurosurgeon decides to proceed with surgery, there are two options:
- microsurgery
- endovascular treatment.
Ask for free advice from a doctor right away
With the microsurgical approach, the vascular swelling is isolated by placing one or more “clips” (small clips) at the level of the malformation. This technique is performed with the help of latest generation microsurgical instruments, indicated for extremely precise treatments.
Endovascular treatment, on the other hand, involves normal angiography: the affected brain vessel is reached through the femoral artery and the aneurysm is literally filled with small titanium filaments or by placing stents. In this way the malformation is effectively excluded from the entire cerebral circulation, thus eliminating the problem.
Know the risk
Some people are more at risk than others of developing an aneurysm. Why? Often it depends on bad habits, but according to some studies also on DNA.
In fact, the factors that increase the likelihood of experiencing this cardiovascular problem are:
- high blood pressure
- cigarette smoke
- genetic predisposition, i.e. if someone else in the family has suffered from aneurysms in the past.
