Detection and Treatment Guide Updated 2017 Detection-and-Treatment-2017 | Page 6
BRAIN ANEURYSMS
A brain aneurysm is a weak, bulging area in an artery in the brain, analogous
to a thin balloon or a weak spot on a tire’s inner tube. Because its walls
may be weak and thin, an aneurysm is at risk of rupturing. If an aneurysm
ruptures, blood spills into the space between the skull and the brain, a
serious type of stroke known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Types
Saccular aneurysms, also called “berry” aneurysms because they look like
berries, are the most common type of brain aneurysm. Saccular aneurysms
have a “neck” that connects the aneurysm to its main (“parent”) artery and a
larger, rounded area called the dome. These aneurysms bulge on only one side
of the artery wall.
A less common type is a fusiform aneurysm, in which the artery is widened on
both sides. Fusiform aneurysms do not have a defined neck.
Anatomy of a brain aneurysm
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Berry aneurysm