Aneurysm - brain
All content is checked by medical journalists.An aneurysm in the brain (intracranial or cerebral aneurysm) is the pathological widening of a brain vessel. When it ruptures, it often causes severe brain damage or even death. Discovered early on, it may be possible to operate. Read everything about aneurysm in the brain here!
ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. I67Q28
Aneurysm in the brain - causes
The cause of an aneurysm in the brain can often not be precisely determined. Obviously, predisposition can play a role, because it is not uncommon for the vascular sacs to occur more frequently within a family. Another important factor that can cause a brain aneurysm is high blood pressure. With every heartbeat, the blood exerts high pressure on the inside of the vessel walls. This can create weak points in the vessel wall that eventually give way - an aneurysm develops.
Vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis) is also an important risk factor for an aneurysm. Limescale deposits (plaques) on the vessel walls cause them to lose their elasticity. The vessels are less able to cushion the pressure wave triggered by each heartbeat. Smoking indirectly increases the risk of aneurysms: It promotes arteriosclerosis and increases blood pressure. Rare causes that are associated with an increased risk of aneurysm in the brain are certain hereditary diseases, for example Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Aneurysm in the head - symptoms
Initially, an aneurysm in the brain does not have to cause any symptoms. Doctors often discover the brain aneurysm by chance, for example when they perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) of the head for another reason. However, depending on the size and location of the aneurysm in the brain, symptoms can also occur. Often, for example, one of the so-called cerebral nerves (nerves that, in contrast to the peripheral nerves, arise directly from the brain) is disrupted. The cranial nerve in particular, which is responsible for eye movements (oculomotor nerve), can be caused by a brain aneurysm be affected. The result is movement disorders of the eyes, eye muscle paralysis or double vision.
If the vessel wall ruptures in an aneurysm in the brain, massive symptoms occur. So-called subarachnoid hemorrhages, or SAB for short, develop most frequently.The bleeding takes place in the space between the brain and the meninges, more precisely the spider's skin (arachnoid). Due to the firm skullcap, the blood cannot escape and quickly exerts increased pressure on the brain.
The patient experiences symptoms of increased intracranial pressure:
- Sudden, severe headache
- nausea
- Vomit
- Neck stiffness
- Drowsiness
- sleepiness
- Loss of consciousness or coma
Brain aneurysm: diagnosis
If the aneurysm does not cause any discomfort in the head, the doctor usually only recognizes it by chance. When aneurysm has ruptured, the symptoms often lead to suspicion of a neurological disorder. An aneurysm in the brain and a cerebral hemorrhage in a ruptured brain aneurysm can be easily visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT).
Aneurysm in the brain: therapy
There are two important ways that aneurysm in the brain can be treated. One possibility is an operation in which the surgeon opens the skull. He then closes the aneurysm from the outside using a clip (so-called clipping).
In the other procedure, the doctor looks for the affected area in the brain through a blood vessel. He fixes the aneurysm by inserting a so-called coil (coiling). This is a platinum coil that fills the aneurysm from the inside.
Aneurysm in the head: prognosis
The prognosis for an aneurysm in the brain depends on several factors. If the brain aneurysm is discovered and treated by accident, the chances of recovery are good in many cases. If, on the other hand, a cerebral hemorrhage occurs because the aneurysm has ruptured, the prognosis depends primarily on the extent of the bleeding and how quickly it is treated.
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