Brain Aneurysm Diagnosis
According to Brainaneurysm.com, a brain aneurysm will occur in as many as one in fifteen persons living in the United States. Of all the people who have abrain aneurysm, 15 percent of them will die before they get to the hospital. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of the condition. Catching it early enough makes a difference between those who survive, and those that don't. There are several ways to diagnose a brain aneurysm.
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What is Brain Aneurysm?
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A brain aneurysm is an abnormal condition affecting an artery in the brain. When a weakness occurs in the walls of an artery, it starts bulging outward. It may eventually burst if untreated in time, causing bleeding inside the brain. When the aneurysm bursts, blood floods into the brain causing a subarachnoid hemorrhage. A stroke may result and could cause instant death.
What Are the Symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm?
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A brain aneurysm has a number of symptoms. Many brain anuerysm patients complain of very sudden and severe headache; many say the headache was unbearable and described it as the worst headache of their life. Some of the other symptoms associated with brain aneurysm include nausea and vomiting and a very stiff neck accompanied by neck pain. Blurred vision or double vision is also a symptom of a brain aneurysm, as well as severe pain behind the eye.
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How a Brain Aneurysm is Diagnosed
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The CT scan, sometimes called CAT scan, is one of the state-of-the-art medical tools used for the diagnosis of a brain aneurysm. The CT scan ais a computerized technology which uses X-ray technology to scan the body in cross sections. It can pick up images of ruptured blood vessels inside the brain as the circular CT scan machine moves across the body. It can also detect blood deposits in the fluid which surrounds the brain.
Cerebral Angiography
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At times after the CT scan identifies the presence of ruptures inside the brain, other equipment may be needed to identify the exact location of the ruptured artery inside the brain. This is where cerebral angiography comes into use. This procedure is complex and delicate . A small catheter is inserted into an artery in the leg. Then the catheter is guided through the circulatory system. A contrast agent is also injected into the particular artery and is tracked through an X-ray. This procedure generally identifies the particular location of the aneurysm, which is projected on a computer screen, and a picture is taken.
MRI Scan
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MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a very sophisticated and accurate method used in diagnosing brain aneurysms, stroke or brain tumours. This machine is used by neurosurgeons to scan and map the anatomy of the brain. The MRI equipment can diagnose and identify brain aneurysms or other brain disorders which are very difficult to detect. The images are projected onto a computer screen for appropriate diagnosis.
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