Berry Aneurysms, Endovascular Coils, and Other treatments

Intracranial aneurysms are dangerous blood vessel abnormalities. They develop silently from weaknesses in arterial walls that are present or enhanced since early age. Sadly, the majority of individuals who suffer a spontaneous bleed from an aneurysm die from its effects.

Aneurysms are saccular out-pouchings from the wall an an artery, sometimes called "berry" aneurysms for their appearance. They form at points where arteries divide. A structural weakness in the wall of the artery allows bulging of the wall. Eventually a saccular aneurysm forms, composed of a narrow neck and bulbous sac, or fundus. Spontaneous hemorrhage (subarachnoid hemorrhage or SAH) usually occurs from the end of the fundus, producing the immediate onset of the "worst headache in my life!" Usually there is no warning prior to the hemorrhage.

Aneurysms may be found, diagnosed, and operated upon by examination high resolution CAT scans or MRI. But usually they are found only if specific symptoms are guiding the search.

New surgical procedures such as endovascular coils or just "coiling" have shown reasonable long term success in mitigating such aneurysms.