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For many individuals, having an aneurysm is not noticeable. A brain (cerebral) aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. In most cases, a brain aneurysm causes no symptoms and goes unnoticed. In rare cases, the brain aneurysm ruptures, releasing blood into the skull and causing a stroke.
When a brain aneurysm ruptures, it's called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Depending on the severity of the hemorrhage, brain damage or death might result.
You might inherit the tendency to form aneurysms, or aneurysms may develop because of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and aging. Some risk factors that can lead to brain aneurysms can be controlled while others can't.
These risk factors might increase your risk of developing an aneurysm, or if you've already had an aneurysm, they might increase your risk of it rupturing:
Most brain aneurysms are discovered during tests for an unrelated condition. In other cases, an unruptured aneurysm will cause problems by pressing on areas within the brain. When this happens, you might suffer from the following symptoms, depending on the areas of the brain affected and the severity of the aneurysm:
An eye exam can show increased pressure within the brain, including swelling of the optic nerve or bleeding into the retina of the eye. The following tests might be used to diagnose cerebral aneurysm and determine the cause of bleeding within the brain:
If you have any of the following symptoms or notice them in someone you know, please see an HonorHealth health professional immediately:
Treatment will depend on your age, size of the aneurysm, any additional risk factors and your overall health. HonorHealth's experts will discuss your options with you to help determine your plan.
Because the risk of a small aneurysm rupturing is low, and surgery for a brain aneurysm is often risky, your doctor might want to continue to observe your condition rather than perform surgery. However, if your aneurysm is large, is causing pain or other symptoms, or if you've had a previous ruptured aneurysm, your doctor might recommend surgery.
HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center offers the following surgeries to treat both ruptured and unruptured brain aneurysms:
In rare cases, some aneurysms need to be surgically removed and the ends of the blood vessel stitched together. Occasionally, the artery is not long enough to stitch together, and a piece of another artery has to be used.
Aneurysms that have bled are very serious and in many cases lead to death or disability. Management includes hospitalization and intensive care to relieve pressure in the brain and maintain breathing and vital functions such as blood pressure, and treatment to prevent re-bleeding.