Cerebral aneurysms occur in between 5 and 10 cases per 100,000 members of the population per year. They are the main cause of subarachnoid haemorrhages .  They may be defined as abnormal dilation of the arteries and the main risk is a rupture with a subsequent cerebral haemorrhage

Risk Factors

Polycystic Kidney (ADPKD)

The polycystic kidney or polycystic kidney disease is a progressive genetic disease that is identified by the appearance of cysts in the kidney or in both kidneys and that may also affect the liver, pancreas, and, sometimes, the heart and brain.

Family history

People with a family member who has suffered a cerebral aneurysm are more likely to develop it than people with no family history.

Fibrous Dysplasia

Fibrous dysplasia is a disorder that affects the bones. It is a pathology defined as the replacement of normal bone with a mixture of  immature fibrous tissue and immature bone fragments. The cervical spine and skull are two of the most common areas affected by monostotic fibrous dysplasia.

Aortic Coarctation

Aortic coarctation is a congenital disease that causes narrowing of part of the aorta. This pathology is associated with other birth defects such as facial hypertrophy and renal artery stenosis and global angiologic insufficiency.

Marfan Syndrome

Marfan disease or syndrome, is a disorder of genetic origin, which affects the connective tissue and which tends to cause alterations to the eyes, skeleton, heart and blood vessels.

Symptoms


  • Intense Headache

  • Vomiting

  • Neurological deficit

Diagnosis

Cranial MRI plus NMR or CT angiography 

They are non-invasive tests, which allow us to detect if there are aneurysms or not.

Cerebral arteriogram

An invasive test that is performed by puncturing the femoral artery and by injecting contrast allows the evaluation of state of the cerebral arteries and the morphology of the aneurysm.

Treatment

Cerebral aneurysm treatment must be performed in centres where there are experienced professionals with multidisciplinary teams.  This is performed by cerebral microsurgery or sometimes by embolisation (on the inside of the artery) depending on the characteristics of the aneurysm, as well as the age and the neurological condition of the patient.

Due to the risk of a haemorrhage, early treatment is recommended. Once the aneurysm has ruptured there is a considerable increase in risk during treatment and of permanent neurological consequences.

Aneurysm before and after surgical treatment.


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