From the Guidelines
A brain aneurysm often produces no symptoms until it ruptures, but when symptoms do occur, they can include severe headaches, pain above or behind the eye, vision changes, numbness on one side of the face, or difficulty speaking, and if an aneurysm ruptures, symptoms appear suddenly and severely, including an extremely painful headache often described as the "worst headache of my life" 1.
Signs and Symptoms of Brain Aneurysm
The signs and symptoms of a brain aneurysm can be divided into two categories: unruptured and ruptured.
- Unruptured brain aneurysms often produce no symptoms until they rupture, but some people may experience warning signs like:
- Severe headaches
- Pain above or behind the eye
- Vision changes
- Numbness on one side of the face
- Difficulty speaking
- Ruptured brain aneurysms, on the other hand, can cause sudden and severe symptoms, including:
- An extremely painful headache often described as the "worst headache of my life" 1
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stiff neck
- Sensitivity to light
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Sudden death
Importance of Seeking Medical Attention
If you experience any of these symptoms, especially a sudden, severe headache, it is essential to seek emergency medical attention immediately, as a ruptured aneurysm is life-threatening and requires immediate treatment 1.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for brain aneurysms include smoking, high blood pressure, family history, and age over 40, so managing these factors is crucial for prevention 1.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis of a brain aneurysm typically involves a noncontrast head CT scan, which can detect bleeding in the brain, and treatment options include surgical clipping or endovascular coiling of the ruptured aneurysm to reduce the rate of rebleeding after aSAH 1.
From the Research
Signs and Symptoms of Brain Aneurysm
- The provided studies do not directly discuss the signs and symptoms of a brain aneurysm, but rather focus on the treatment options and outcomes of cerebral aneurysms 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, it can be inferred that the clinical presentation of cerebral aneurysms can vary, ranging from asymptomatic lesions to those presenting with catastrophic intracranial hemorrhage 4.
- Some common signs and symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm may include:
- Sudden and severe headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion and disorientation
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg
- It is essential to note that these signs and symptoms are not explicitly mentioned in the provided studies, but are generally recognized in the medical literature.
Treatment Options and Outcomes
- The studies discuss the treatment options for cerebral aneurysms, including surgical clipping and endovascular coiling 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The outcomes of these treatment options are compared, with some studies suggesting that surgical clipping may be a preferred treatment for certain types of aneurysms, such as those located in the middle cerebral artery 2, 5.
- Other studies discuss the importance of considering patient-specific factors, such as comorbidities and aneurysm morphology, when selecting a treatment option 4.
- The use of iterative metal artifact reduction algorithms can improve image quality in post-interventional evaluations of brain tissue and intracranial arteries after clipping or coiling 6.