How can aneurysm be detected

Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your abdominal aortic aneurysm-related health concerns Start Here. The goal of abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment is to prevent an aneurysm from rupturing. Treatment may involve careful monitoring or surgery. Which treatment you have depends on the size of the aortic aneurysm and how fast it's growing.

A doctor might recommend this option, also called watchful waiting, if the abdominal aortic aneurysm is small and isn't causing symptoms. Monitoring requires regular doctor's checkups and imaging tests to determine if the aneurysm is growing and to manage other conditions, such as high blood pressure, that could worsen the aneurysm.

Typically, a person who has a small, symptomless abdominal aortic aneurysm needs an abdominal ultrasound at least six months after diagnosis and at regular follow-up appointments. Surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm is generally recommended if the aneurysm is 1. Also, a doctor might recommend abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery if you have symptoms such as stomach pain or you have a leaking, tender or painful aneurysm.

The type of surgery performed depends on the size and location of the aneurysm, your age, and your overall health. Abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery options may include:. Endovascular repair. This procedure is used most often to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A surgeon inserts a thin, flexible tube catheter through an artery in the leg and gently guides it to the aorta. A metal mesh tube graft on the end of the catheter is placed at the site of the aneurysm, expanded and fastened in place.

The graft strengthens the weakened section of the aorta to prevent rupture of the aneurysm. Endovascular surgery isn't an option for everyone with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. You and your doctor will discuss the best repair option for you. After endovascular surgery, you'll need regular imaging tests to ensure that the grafted area isn't leaking. Cerebral aneurysms can occur anywhere in the brain, but most form in the major arteries along the base of the skull. Brain aneurysms can occur in anyone and at any age.

They are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 and are more common in women than in men. People with certain inherited disorders are also at higher risk. All cerebral aneurysms have the potential to rupture and cause bleeding within the brain or surrounding area. Approximately 30, Americans per year suffer a brain aneurysm rupture. There are no proven statistics but a consensus of scientific papers indicate that between 3 and 5 percent of Americans may have an aneurysm in their lifetime.

Unruptured aneurysm Most cerebral aneurysms do not show symptoms until they either become very large or rupture. Small unchanging aneurysms generally will not produce symptoms. Ruptured aneurysm When an aneurysm ruptures bursts , one always experiences a sudden and extremely severe headache e. Leaking aneurysm Sometimes an aneurysm may leak a small amount of blood into the brain called a sentinel bleed. Sentinel or warning headaches may result from an aneurysm that suffers a tiny leak, days or weeks prior to a significant rupture.

However, only a minority of individuals have a sentinel headache prior to rupture. If you experience a sudden, severe headache, especially when it is combined with any other symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention. Cerebral aneurysms form when the walls of the arteries in the brain become thin and weaken.

Aneurysms typically form at branch points in arteries because these sections are the weakest. Occasionally, cerebral aneurysms may be present from birth, usually resulting from an abnormality in an artery wall. Additionally, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol puts one at risk of atherosclerosis a blood vessel disease in which fats build up on the inside of artery walls , which can increase the risk of developing a fusiform aneurysm.

Not all aneurysms will rupture. Aneurysm characteristics such as size, location, and growth during follow-up evaluation may affect the risk that an aneurysm will rupture.

In addition, medical conditions may influence aneurysm rupture. Most cerebral aneurysms go unnoticed until they rupture or are detected during medical imaging tests for another condition. If you have experienced a severe headache or have any other symptoms related to a ruptured aneurysm your doctor will order tests to determine if blood has leaked into the space between the skull bone and brain. People can live with them for years before detection. If a brain aneurysm is unruptured, no blood has broken through the blood vessel walls.

This means the "balloon" in your blood vessel remains intact. For unruptured brain aneurysms, doctors will treat aneurysms that are more likely to bleed and leave certain others alone. Once a brain aneurysm bleeds, or ruptures, it requires immediate medical care in a medical center designed to handle emergencies. If you think you are experiencing a ruptured brain aneurysm, dial immediately. Neurosurgeons use specialized procedures to treat ruptured and unruptured brain aneurysms, when appropriate:.

When determining how likely a brain aneurysm is to bleed or require treatment , your doctor will consider these factors:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis If you experience a sudden, severe headache or other symptoms possibly related to a ruptured aneurysm, you'll be given a test or series of tests to determine whether you've had bleeding into the space between your brain and surrounding tissues subarachnoid hemorrhage or possibly another type of stroke.

Consultation A doctor converses with a woman about brain aneurysm diagnosis. Brain aneurysm surgery Mayo Clinic surgeons performing an endovascular procedure for brain aneurysm. Aneurysm clip Open pop-up dialog box Close. Aneurysm clip A surgical procedure to treat brain aneurysms involves opening the skull, finding the affected artery and then placing a metal clip over the neck of the aneurysm. Endovascular coiling Open pop-up dialog box Close. Endovascular coiling With endovascular coiling, the surgeon feeds a soft, flexible wire into the aneurysm via a catheter.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Williams LN, et al. Management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Neurology Clinical Practice. Thompson BG, et al. Cerebral aneurysm fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed April 11, Cerebral aneurysm. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Daroff RB, et al. Intracranial Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

In: Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. Philadelphia, Pa. Singer RJ, et al. Unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Maciel CB, et al.

Seizures and epileptiform patterns in SAH and their relation to outcomes. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. Brown RD expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 27, Brown RD, et al. Screening for brain aneurysm in the Familial Intracranial Aneurysm study: Frequency and predictors of lesion detection.