Cerebral Aneurysm: Are You Born With It?

A cerebral aneurysm (aka brain aneurysm) is a weak area in a blood vessel that usually enlarges. It’s often described as a “ballooning” of the blood vessel.

People usually aren’t born with aneurysms. Most develop after age 40. Aneurysms usually develop at branching points of arteries and are caused by constant pressure from blood flow. They often enlarge slowly and become weaker as they grow, just as a balloon becomes weaker as it stretches. Aneurysms may be associated with other blood vessel disorders, such as fibromuscular dysplasia, cerebral arteritis or arterial dissection, but these are very unusual. Some aneurysms are due to infections, drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine or direct brain trauma from an accident.

How are cerebral aneurysms diagnosed?

Special imaging tests can detect a brain aneurysm. In the CTA (computed tomographic angiography), patients are placed on a table that slides into a CT scanner. A special contrast material (dye) is injected into a vein, and images are taken of the blood vessels to look for abnormalities such as an aneurysm. In the second test, called MRA (magnetic resonance angiography), patients are placed on a table that slides into a magnetic resonance scanner. Again, the blood vessels are imaged to detect a cerebral aneurysm.

The most reliable test is called a diagnostic cerebral angiogram. In this test, the patient lies on an X-ray table. A small tube (catheter) is inserted through a blood vessel in the leg (groin) and guided into each of the blood vessels in the neck that go to the brain. Contrast is then injected, and pictures are taken of all the blood vessels in the brain. This test is slightly more invasive and less comfortable.

Before any treatment is considered, a diagnostic cerebral angiogram is usually performed to map a therapy plan fully.

If one aneurysm forms, will others form? Having one aneurysm means there’s about a 20 % chance of having one or more other aneurysms.

What are the symptoms of an unruptured aneurysm? Smaller aneurysms usually don’t have symptoms. But as an aneurysm enlarges, it can produce headaches or localized pain. If an aneurysm gets very large, it may produce pressure on the normal brain tissue or adjacent nerves. This pressure can cause difficulty with vision, numbness or weakness of an arm or leg, difficulty with memory or speech, or seizures.

What causes aneurysms to bleed?

We usually don’t know why an aneurysm bleeds or exactly when it will bleed. However, we do know what increases the chance of bleeding:

High blood pressure is the leading cause of subarachnoid haemorrhage. In addition, heavy lifting or straining can cause pressure to rise in the brain and may lead to an aneurysm rupture.

Strong emotions, such as being upset or angry, can raise blood pressure and cause aneurysms to rupture.

*Blood thinners (such as warfarin), some medications and prescription drugs (including diet pills that act as stimulants such as ephedrine and amphetamines), and harmful drugs like cocaine can cause aneurysms to rupture and bleed.

What are the chances that an unruptured aneurysm may bleed? Many factors determine whether an aneurysm is likely to bleed. These include the size, shape and location of the aneurysm and the symptoms that it causes. For example, smaller aneurysms that are uniform in size may be less likely to bleed than larger, irregularly shaped ones. In addition, once an aneurysm has bled, there’s a high chance of re-bleeding.

What happens if an aneurysm bleeds? If an aneurysm ruptures, it leaks blood into the space around the brain. This is called a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Depending on the amount of blood, it can produce:

• a sudden severe headache that can last from several hours to days
• nausea and vomiting, drowsiness and/or coma

The haemorrhage may also damage the brain directly, usually from bleeding into the brain itself. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke. This can lead to:

• weakness or paralysis of an arm or leg
• trouble speaking or understanding language
• vision problems
• seizures

Cerebral aneurysms survival rate and damage to the brain

Once an aneurysm bleeds, the chance of death is about 40%, and the possibility of some brain damage is about 66 %, even if the aneurysm is treated. If the aneurysm isn’t treated quickly enough, another bleed may occur from the already ruptured aneurysm.

Vasospasm (irritation by the leaked blood causing narrowing of the blood vessels) is a common complication following a ruptured aneurysm. This can lead to further brain damage. Other problems may include hydrocephalus (enlargement of the spaces within the brain that produce cerebrospinal fluid), difficulty breathing that requires a mechanical ventilator, and infection.

Why is the damage so extensive after bleeding? After blood enters the brain and the space around it, direct injury to the brain tissue and brain function results. The amount of damage is usually related to the amount of blood. Damage is due to the increased pressure and swelling from bleeding directly into the brain tissue or local cellular damage to brain tissue from irritation of blood in the space between the brain and the skull.

Blood can also irritate and damage the normal blood vessels and cause vasospasm (constriction). This can interrupt normal blood flow to healthy brain tissue and cause even more brain damage. This is called an ischemic stroke. 

Will treating a ruptured aneurysm reverse or improve brain damage? Once an aneurysm bleeds and brain damage occurs, treating the aneurysm will not reverse the damage. Treatment helps prevent more bleeding.

How is a treatment method for an aneurysm chosen? First, doctors must evaluate the risk factors that favor treatment vs. non-treatment and decide which technique may be best. It’s important to consult with experts in this field. This should include a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon specializing in surgically clipping aneurysms, a neurosurgeon with endovascular expertise and training, a neuro interventionalist (a neurologist with endovascular training) or a neuroradiologist who specializes in the less- invasive treatment of cerebral aneurysms by coiling.

Cerebral aneurysm treatment

The best treatment depends on many things, including whether the aneurysm has ruptured or not. A ruptured aneurysm usually requires treatment right away. However, the treatment time and options depend on the size, location and shape of the aneurysm and the patient’s overall medical condition. If an aneurysm hasn’t ruptured, the cerebral aneurysm treatment decision depends on its size, location and shape, and the patient’s symptoms.

Cerebral aneurysm types of treatment

• Medical therapy.  Small, unruptured aneurysms that aren’t creating any symptoms may not need treatment unless they grow, trigger, or rupture. However, it’s essential to have annual check-ups to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and other medical conditions.
• Neurosurgery. Depending on a person’s risk factors, open surgery may be recommended. Patients are placed under general anaesthesia, and the neurosurgeon places a surgical clip around the aneurysm’s base.
• Neurointerventionalist/neuroradiologist. Depending on the aneurysm’s size, location and shape, it may be treatable from inside the blood vessel. This minimally invasive procedure is similar to the cerebral angiogram. However, in addition to taking pictures, a catheter is directed through the blood vessels into the aneurysm itself. Then, using X-ray guidance, the endovascular surgeon carefully places soft platinum micro-coils into the aneurysm and detaches them. The coils stay within the aneurysm and act as a mechanical barrier to blood flow, thus sealing it off.