Contents
What is a brain aneurysm
A cerebral aneurysm is a pathological expansion of the wall of a cerebral vessel. Such a wall is greatly stretched and thinned, due to which a saccular protrusion is formed, which is filled with blood. A growing aneurysm begins to put pressure on the nerves and surrounding tissues, but the most important danger is the likelihood of an aneurysm rupture, which leads to a massive hemorrhage in the brain – a hemorrhagic stroke.
Aneurysm of cerebral vessels can occur in any of its areas, while age and gender do not really matter. However, this pathology practically does not occur in children.
There are the following types of cerebral aneurysms:
Saccular aneurysm. It is a small, round “pouch” filled with blood and attached to an artery or branch of a blood vessel. The most common form of pathology.
Lateral aneurysm. It is a tumor-like formation on the wall of a blood vessel.
Spindle-shaped aneurysm. It is formed as a result of the expansion of the wall of the blood vessel in the form of a spindle.
Also, cerebral aneurysms vary in size (from <2 mm (microaneurysm) to >25-40 mm in diameter (giant aneurysm), location (may be on the surface or deep in the substance of the brain), and can also be congenital and The latter include post-traumatic (gunshot wounds to the head, craniocerebral trauma, consequences of brain surgery) and post-infectious pathologies.
Causes of cerebral aneurysms in adults
The most common causes of cerebral aneurysms include:
- congenital pathology of the structure of the walls of the blood vessels of the brain;
- genetic disorders – connective tissue diseases, polycystic kidney disease;
- head injury;
- infectious diseases (for example, syphilis).
Risk factors for an aneurysm include:
- high blood pressure;
- atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels,
- smoking and drug use.
– It is believed that there is a genetic predisposition to the development of aneurysms – the risk of an aneurysm is increased in people whose close blood relatives already have an aneurysm. Also, aneurysms can occur due to tumors, injuries, drug use, atherosclerosis, explains neurologist Elena Gayvoronskaya.
Symptoms of a brain aneurysm in adults
Most often, a cerebral aneurysm is detected in a person quite by accident, during an examination. It usually doesn’t show itself for a long time. In rare cases, a person may complain of frequent headaches, unsteadiness, dizziness. But this is the main danger of the disease, that the symptoms appear already when the aneurysm ruptures with cerebral hemorrhage.
When a brain aneurysm ruptures, a person experiences a sensation of a sharp blow in the head, accompanied by a severe headache. Also, a person feels an influx of heat to the head, there is a sharp weakness in the arms or legs.
Much depends on where exactly the aneurysm ruptured. If the gap occurred in the area of the frontal lobe, a person has a strong psychomotor agitation. If in the region of the middle cerebral artery, hemiparesis or hemiplegia may occur, in which movement of any side of the body is severely impaired and difficult (sometimes completely impossible). If an aneurysm ruptured in the posterior cranial fossa, where the area of responsibility for coordination and statics is located, the person immediately loses consciousness and may even fall into a coma. Instability of arterial pressure and disturbances of breath are noted.
Also, aneurysm can often be localized in the region of the anterior communicating artery of the brain and, increasing in volume, can put pressure on the optic nerves. There is binosal hemianopsia – partial blindness, lack of visual fields near the nose. In this case, it is more likely, even before CT and MRI, to suggest the presence of a brain aneurysm.
Treatment of a brain aneurysm in adults
Cerebral aneurysm is a very dangerous pathology that can even lead to death, so ignoring its symptoms or self-medicating is unacceptable.
Diagnostics
As previously noted, an aneurysm rarely manifests itself before rupture, so its detection is completely accidental. The patient may complain of headache, dizziness, unsteadiness, and after consultation, the neurologist may send him for a CT scan or MRI to rule out other diseases.
If a doctor sees a clinical picture of a cerebral aneurysm on CT or MRI, cerebral angiography or magnetic resonance angiography is prescribed, in which a special contrast agent is injected into the patient’s vein. Such research methods help to assess the size of the aneurysm, where exactly it is located, how close it is to the nervous structures, and also help the neurosurgeon decide what treatment will be given.
Modern treatments
– Treatment of an aneurysm is carried out surgically. There are different ways, for example, the introduction of a microcoil that fills the aneurysm from the inside, or clipping – the imposition of a “clip” in the place where the aneurysm is connected to the vessel. In some cases, doctors choose a conservative-expectant tactic, and simply observe the aneurysm, explains neurologist Elena Gayvoronskaya.
The two methods differ in that clipping involves trepanation of the skull, a gentle approach to the aneurysm and “switching off” it from the bloodstream, thereby minimizing the likelihood of rupture. The introduction of a microcoil into the aneurysm is carried out by the endovascular method – through the main artery, after which the aneurysm is also “turned off” from the bloodstream. This method does not require trepanation and the recovery period is much faster, but the choice of method always depends on the type, size and location of the aneurysm.
Prevention of cerebral aneurysm in adults at home
Here are some tips to help avoid ruptured aneurysms:
- you need to monitor your blood pressure – if necessary, the doctor will prescribe antihypertensive drugs that reduce blood pressure;
- stop smoking (and it is better to exclude alcohol too);
- a healthy diet is very important – fatty meat, sausages, fried and smoked foods should be replaced with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs;
- it is necessary to monitor the level of cholesterol in the blood.