Cerebral (Brain) Aneurysm

It is the result of thinning and degeneration of artery walls, often found at the junctions or branches in arteries as those areas are weaker.

Symptoms of Cerebral (Brain) Aneurysms include:

• Sudden, extremely severe headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Back pain
• Blurred or double vision
• Drooping eyelids
• Sensitivity to light
• Seizure
• Transient loss of consciousness
• Confusion

Diagnosis is normally done via:

• Computerised tomography (CT) scan
• Cerebrospinal fluid test
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan
• Cerebral angiogram
• Cerebral arteriogram

Treatment for Cerebral (Brain) Aneurysms aims to repair the blood vessels. There are two types of treatments available - surgical clipping and coiling.

Surgical clipping is where craniotomy surgery is performed and a clip is placed across the base of the aneurysm to prevent blood from entering and causing further growth or rupture.

Coiling is filling the Aneurysm with coils of platinum wire or latex to prevent more blood from entering the aneurysm.

There are other treatments available which relieve the symptoms and manage the complications. These include analgesic pain relievers, calcium channel blockers, interventions to prevent stroke from insufficient blood flow, anti-seizure medications, ventricular catheters and shunt surgery and rehabilitative therapy.