Learning you have a brain aneurysm does not always mean you need immediate treatment. Many aneurysms are discovered unexpectedly during imaging and can be evaluated before you decide what comes next.
A prompt evaluation by a cerebrovascular specialist can help you understand your individual risk and treatment options. At Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), you can meet with an aneurysm specialist in person or by video.
What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm is a weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel in your brain. Many brain aneurysms never rupture or cause symptoms. If an aneurysm does rupture, it can cause bleeding in or around your brain and requires immediate medical care.
Your risk of rupture depends on several factors, including the aneurysm’s size, shape, and location. Your age and overall health also help your specialist determine how the aneurysm should be managed.
Brain Aneurysm Symptoms
You may have no symptoms from an unruptured brain aneurysm. Some aneurysms are found during imaging for another concern.
When symptoms do occur, you may experience:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Ringing in your ears
A sudden, severe headache can be a warning sign of a ruptured aneurysm. This is sometimes called a thunderclap headache because it begins suddenly and becomes very painful.
Call 911 if you experience a sudden, severe headache or other sudden neurological symptoms.
Brain Aneurysm Risk Factors
Brain aneurysms are more common than many people realize. Some people have a higher risk because of their health or family history.
Important risk factors include:
- Tobacco use
- High blood pressure
- A family history of brain aneurysm, especially in a close relative
Certain inherited conditions can also increase your risk. These include Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and polycystic kidney disease.
Diagnosing a Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm is often first found on CT angiography (CTA), MRI, or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Your specialist will review those images to understand the aneurysm’s size, shape, and location.
Depending on what the imaging shows, you may need cerebral catheter angiography for a more detailed evaluation. This minimally invasive test shows blood flow through the vessels in your brain and can help your specialist plan treatment when needed.
Your evaluation also considers your age, overall health, and other factors that may affect your risk. From there, you and your specialist can decide whether the aneurysm should be monitored or treated.
Brain Aneurysm Treatment
Not every brain aneurysm needs treatment. Your specialist may recommend monitoring if your aneurysm has a lower risk of rupture.
If treatment is recommended, your age, overall health, and the aneurysm’s size, shape, and location help guide the approach.
At WMCHealth, most brain aneurysms can be treated using minimally invasive catheter-based procedures instead of open surgery.
Depending on your aneurysm, treatment may include:
- Coiling: Your specialist places tiny coils inside the aneurysm to reduce blood flow into it.
- Flow diversion: A device placed inside the affected artery redirects blood away from the aneurysm.
- Intrasaccular device placement: A device placed inside the aneurysm helps disrupt blood flow into it.
- Microsurgical clipping: A neurosurgeon places a small clip at the aneurysm’s base to stop blood from entering it. WMCHealth uses this approach for select aneurysms.
WMCHealth specialists also participate in ongoing cerebrovascular research involving devices and technologies used in minimally invasive aneurysm treatment.
Follow-Up After Brain Aneurysm Treatment
After brain aneurysm treatment, your specialist will continue to monitor you over time. Follow-up may include cerebral angiography or other imaging to check the treated aneurysm and guide future care.
If you were treated for a ruptured aneurysm, recovery may also involve rehabilitation and other neurological care. WMCHealth can coordinate these services as you recover from the effects of the rupture and related stroke.