What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
An aneurysm forms when a section of an artery wall weakens and balloons outward, similar to a thin spot on a tire. Many people live their entire lives without ever knowing they have one, since unruptured aneurysms usually cause no symptoms. The danger appears if the weakened wall tears, allowing blood to leak into or around the brain.
What Are the Symptoms?
Ruptured aneurysm (emergency): a sudden, severe headache often described as a 'thunderclap' — reaching full intensity within seconds. It may come with nausea, vomiting, a stiff neck, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, or loss of consciousness.
Unruptured aneurysm: usually silent, but a larger one can occasionally press on nearby nerves, causing eye pain, a drooping eyelid, or vision changes.
What Causes a Brain Aneurysm?
- High blood pressure, uncontrolled over time
- Smoking
- Family history of brain aneurysms
- Certain inherited connective tissue conditions
- Natural weak points where blood vessels branch
How Is It Diagnosed?
Unruptured aneurysms are often found incidentally during imaging done for another reason, using CT angiography (CTA) or MR angiography (MRA). If a rupture is suspected, a CT scan of the head is done immediately, sometimes followed by a cerebral angiogram to map the vessel in detail before treatment.
How Is a Brain Aneurysm Treated?
Treatment depends on the aneurysm's size, location, and whether it has ruptured:
- Surgical clipping: a small metal clip is placed at the base of the aneurysm to stop blood flow into it
- Endovascular coiling: a catheter is guided through the blood vessels to fill the aneurysm with tiny coils, sealing it off from the inside
- Monitoring: small, unruptured aneurysms with low rupture risk may simply be observed with periodic imaging
Everything in One Place
A ruptured aneurysm cannot wait for a transfer between facilities. At Hospital CMQ, emergency imaging, neurosurgery, and intensive care are coordinated on-site so treatment can begin without delay.
When Should I Go to the Emergency Room?
Go immediately — call an ambulance rather than driving yourself — if you experience a sudden, severe headache unlike any before, especially with vision changes, neck stiffness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. Every minute matters.
Our neurosurgery and emergency teams are available 24/7 across our three hospitals in operation.
References
- Mayo Clinic — Brain aneurysm
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH) — Cerebral aneurysms
- American Stroke Association — Subarachnoid hemorrhage
