Brain Aneurysm Essay, Research Paper

Brain Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a bulge or sac formed by the ballooning of the wall of an artery or a vein. An aneurysm can cause a threat to health. It may rupture and bleed in the tissues of the brain, causing serious, even mortal brain damage. This happens because the blood floods the brain and kills the cells. These cells cannot be reproduced. A ruptured aneurysm may also lead to fatal loss of blood from the circulatory system into body cavities. A one-sided paralysis and sensory loss on the side of the body opposite the hemisphere damaged by the stroke may also occur.

Most aneurysms occur in blood vessel walls that have been weakened by a combination of thickening and hardening of the arteries, hypertension, and abnormally high blood pressure. Even a person with normal blood pressure may have an aneurysm in a vessel wall that has been weak from birth. Other causes of aneurysms are serious injury caused by an automobile accident or infection from diseases, such as syphilis. Aneurysms may develop in any blood vessel, but they frequently form in the major vessels, especially in the aorta, which is the body s largest artery.

Aneurysms often produce no symptoms until they suddenly enlarge and burst, possibly resulting in death. They may be discovered only during a physical examination, from a x-ray or by imaging techniques such as an M.R.I. (magnetic resonance imaging) or a computed tomography (C.T.) scan. The aneurysm can sometimes be small and not cause symptoms. If this is the case the person’s should see their doctor regularly to make sure it is not enlarging.

Some aneurysms can be removed surgically before they pose a danger. The risk of death is much lower in these cases than if the patient requires emergency surgery because of a ruptured aneurysm.