What is an aneurysm at the Mayo Clinic?
for video Mayo Clinic Minute: What is an aneurysm? An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel.
Can a rupture of an aneurysm cause death?
An aneurysm can burst (rupture), causing internal bleeding and often leading to death. Aneurysms usually don’t cause symptoms, so you might not know you have an aneurysm even if it’s large. Aneurysms can develop in several parts of your body, including:
What does an aneurysm mean in medical terms?
An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel. “A proportion of these patients will go on to have a rupture. And the challenge with rupture is that it’s unpredictable.”.
Can a person not know they have an aneurysm?
Aneurysms usually don’t cause symptoms, so you might not know you have an aneurysm even if it’s large. Aneurysms can develop in several parts of your body, including:
How is CT angiography used to check for brain aneurysms?
Occasionally a contrast dye is injected into the bloodstream prior to scanning to assess the arteries, and look for a possible aneurysm. This process, called CT angiography (CTA), produces sharper, more detailed images of blood flow in the brain arteries.
Can a brain aneurysm cause no symptoms at all?
In some cases, an aneurysm may leak a slight amount of blood. This leaking (sentinel bleed) may cause only a: A more severe rupture often follows leaking. An unruptured brain aneurysm may produce no symptoms, particularly if it’s small. However, a larger unruptured aneurysm may press on brain tissues and nerves, possibly causing:
Where can you find aneurysms in your body?
Aneurysms can develop in several parts of your body, including: The aorta — the major blood vessel carrying blood from your heart to vital organs (aortic aneurysm) The section of aorta that passes through your chest ( thoracic aortic aneurysm) Blood vessels in other parts of your body, such as your legs, groin or neck (peripheral aneurysm)
