Aneurysms - Free Essay Example

To begin with, the word aneurysm derives from the Latin word â€Å"aneurysma. † In Latin â€Å"aneurysma† means dilation and dilation means that act of expanding. From this, it is easier to figure out what an aneurysm really is. The definition of the English word aneurysm means, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel. There are several different types of aneurysm, but this report will only cover a cerebral one. Intracranial aneurysms are classified as dissecting, saccular, and fusiform. There are many causes of intracranial aneurysms. Some of the most common causes would include fibromuscular dysphasia, atherosclerosis, and arteriovenous malformation. Some that are less common, but do occur would include drugs, infection, and trauma. Dissecting aneurysms occur when blood enters a vessel wall through a rupture in the intima, which is the inner lining of vein or artery. The damage in dissecting aneurysms varies greatly depending on the damage it has already caused. Th ese are the weakest aneurysms, because they don’t leave the premises of the parent vessel. There are cases were dissecting aneurysms cause great damage, but it is highly unlikely. Aneurysms that fall into this category are mostly caused by trauma to the head. Most of the time when this occurs damage is caused to the extracranial region of the brain. These are the rarest among all the other aneurysms and only would be caused by a severe head injury. Fusiform aneurysms are also called atherosclerotic aneurysms, because of the condition atherosclerosis, which is when plaque builds up in the artery walls. Fusiform aneurysm effect mostly the older population. The effects usually pertain to the vertebrobasilar system, which is the system the contains vertebral and basilar arteries. The aneurysm itself effects the tissues of the brain stem. A rupture may cause a brainstem infarction, in which tissues of the stem are destroyed. That causes the midbrain, medulla and the pons to shut down. Fustiform aneurysm are severe and most likely to be fatal if not identified. They are easily found, because the cause severe erosion at the base of the cranium. Saccular aneurysms are the most common and are easily identified because of the berrylike sacs on the veins or arteries. They are caused by weakness in the vessel wall layers. The sac itself grows from the intima and adventitia of an vessel. When this occurs abnormal hemodynamic pressure on the cerebral arteries causes rupture. Saccular aneurysm can be caused by infections, tumors, or drugs. Aneurysms occur to people in their early forties to their late fifties. Most aneurysms occur to people that are around age sixty. Intracranial aneurysms are rare to children and only account for 2% of the total aneurysms. The younger the patient with an intracranial aneurysm the larger the sac. Location is a big part in classifying the type of aneurysm. About 86. 5% of all intracranial aneurysms occurs in the carotid reg ion. The pieces all fall to place when using the Hunt and Hess scale, which measures the current status of the expansion. There is a grade 0 to grade 5 scale. Zero is a non ruptured aneurysm and 5 is basically the point were there is not much doctors can do to make the patient live. Vasospasm is the term used when a constriction of a vein or artery occurs. It is also the cause of death when an aneurysm occurs. More than 50% of all surviving patients that get an intracranial aneurysm have neurological defects. Treatment is wonderful when treating intracranial aneurysm. The most common approach is surgery, because blood clots can occur and stop the circulation in the brain. First the surgeon must remove a small portion of the skull and the starts to spread the brain tissues then cuts off circulation in the aneurysm with a tiny clip. Then the procedure is over when the brain tissues are put back into place and the cranial bone is put back. Another type of surgery to prevent a rup ture involves a small plastic tube that is inserted into the femoral artery. The tube goes through the vascular system into the head and finally into the aneurysm. Then coils are tightened around the aneurysm to prevent rupture. More than 125,000 people have had this procedure worldwide.