A cerebral (brain or intracranial) aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain weakens. This results in a bulge or ballon developing in the wall of the blood vessel. Typically an aneurysm tends to develop at a “fork” in a blood vessel since that is where it is structurally vulnerable. They can be the result of congenital defects or a variety of conditions like artherosclerosis, high BP and occasionally trauma to the head or even infection.
Aneurysms may present as catastrophic rupture leading to sub-arachnoid haemorrhage – a potentially life-threatening fatal condition.
Treatment: Once ruptured then the patient requires immediate admission to an ICU and evaluation regarding the presence and location of the aneurysm. Based on this evaluation and the patient’s clinical condition, a decision is taken regarding treatment. The primary goal of treatment is exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation. This can be done by one of two methods – surgical (clipping of the aneurysm) or endovascular (via coils).
A Case Study
Click here to read about a case study on Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm.