A brain aneurysm is like a blister, bubble or pocket that occurs in the wall of one of the brain's blood vessels. When a vessel walls gets weak, it can start to stretch out and make a bubble. Eventually, that bubble can rupture and cause bleeding—called a hemorrhage—in the brain.
A tricky aspect of a brain aneurysm is that it often doesn't cause any symptoms unless it ruptures or gets big enough to push against a nerve. You may not know it's there unless it's found during another test, like an MRI. If an aneurysm gets large enough to press on a nerve, you may notice symptoms like:
Other problems can look or feel the same way, but if you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Catching an aneurysm before it ruptures can make a big difference. When an aneurysm is about to rupture, common symptoms include:
A ruptured aneurysm is an emergency. Get medical attention immediately for anyone experiencing these symptoms.
Diagnosing an aneurysm starts with talking to your doctor about the history of your symptoms and doing a physical exam. From there, you'll have imaging studies, like a CT scan or MRI. Your doctor may also recommend a screening called magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). This is an imaging test like an MRI that looks specifically at the blood vessels. You might also need an angiogram or digital subtraction angiography, which study your blood vessels.
If these tests find an aneurysm, treatment depends on whether it has ruptured. If it hasn't, you can either have your doctor monitor it or choose to undergo surgery to remove it before it causes problems. If the aneurysm has ruptured, surgery is necessary to fix it. There are two main types of aneurysm surgery:
A brain aneurysm isn't a health problem to take lightly. Talk to your doctor today if you're experiencing symptoms.
Main Line Health offers brain aneurysm clipping to help prevent an aneurysm from life-threatening rupture.
If left untreated, hemorrhagic stroke can result in serious neurological deficits or death. Endovascular Coiling is one of the procedures offering new hope to hemorrhagic stroke patients who had been told previously that they had no further treatment options.
Endovascular coiling, also called coiling or endovascular embolization, is a procedure performed to block blood flow into an aneurysm (a weakened area in the wall of an artery).
There are many ways that the specialists at Main Line Health can treat ischemic strokes.
Inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation treatment and complex stroke treatment. We develop a unique stroke rehab therapy plan that help patients immediately build on their strengths and learn to compensate for limitations.
Thrombectomy is an advanced stroke treatment offered at Bryn Mawr Hospital. It may be performed up to 24 hours after first stroke symptoms.
Main Line Health is one of few community health systems offering state-of-the-art neurointervention care. Through our collaboration with the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, our Neurointervention Program is an accredited thrombectomy-capable stoke center.
Take comfort in knowing that the Emergency Care Team at Main Line Health is here for you when you need us most to provide compassionate care as quickly as possible.
The neurology team at Main Line Health treats and manages conditions such as migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and more.
Discover how Main Line Health neurosurgeons provide expert care, from routine to complex spinal and nervous system conditions for patients.
Discover how Main Line Health experts serve Philadelphia by treating a wide range of conditions, including back, neck and oncology-related pain.
