Aneurysm
By: Owen Stegall
Summary and Symptoms
An aneurysm is a bulging part of blood in an artery that is at risk of rupturing. There are also pseudoaneurysms, which are contained by the surrounding tissues. Aneurysms have little to no symptoms before rupturing. Some symptoms include pain behind the eye, vision changes, and paralysis on one side of the face. After a rupture people may feel pain, or a sudden, severe headache.
Diagnosis
Ways to diagnose aneurysms include CT scans, an MRI, cerebral angiogram, and a cerebrospinal fluid test. These help determine if pain and/or bleeding is caused by an aneurysm.
Treatment
Aneurysms are treated in a variety of ways, depending on how large it is, where it is, and if it has ruptured or not. Some treatments include medicine, surgery or endovascular repair.
Prognosis
Doctors believe about 6 million people have an unruptured brain aneurysm. Around 60% of people who have a ruptured aneurysm survive, and about 66% of those who survive have a permanent neurological disorder, if located in the brain.