Vascular diseases and hemorrhage
The most common vascular diseases are stenosis (narrowing) of the carotid artery, aneurysms (arterial hernia) in the brains arteries, and clusters of malformed vessels.
Strokes result from either the termination of blood supply to a part of the brain causing a brain infarction, or by hemorrhage caused by ruptured blood vessels in the brain. Neurosurgeons can do little in cases of brain infarction. Nonetheless, craniectomy is sometimes performed to lower the pressure on the brain and thereby improve the blood supply.
Usually, patients with brain hemorrhages located deep in the brain, do not benefit from surgery. If the hemorrhage is located closer to the surface of one of the brains lobes, surgical outcome is normally very good. In such cases the hemorrhage is often caused by a specific pathology, eg. arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which is a cluster of deformed blood vessels. Both the hemorrhage and the deformation are surgically removed.
The typical symptom of subarachnoid hemorrhage is an acute, sudden and severe headache. Patients often describe it as an explosion inside their head. Clinically, the condition such patients can range from appearing quite well to being very ill (comatose). Subarachnoid hemorrhage is often cause by aneurysms in one of the brains arteries. Prompt treatment is critical, because the risk of additional hemorrhage is great. The fatality rate in cases of additional hemorrhage is 50%. Treatment consists of blocking the aneurysm, using a technique known as coiling, thereby preventing further hemorrhaging. Additionally most patients require about two weeks intensive care, partly because their brains are susceptible to vasospasms (blood vessel cramps) following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Carotid artery stenosis (carotis stenosis) is one of the most common causes of strokes. The stenosis is treated either surgically or by use of an arterial catheter inserted into the artery from the patients groin.
Strokes result from either the termination of blood supply to a part of the brain causing a brain infarction, or by hemorrhage caused by ruptured blood vessels in the brain. Neurosurgeons can do little in cases of brain infarction. Nonetheless, craniectomy is sometimes performed to lower the pressure on the brain and thereby improve the blood supply.
Usually, patients with brain hemorrhages located deep in the brain, do not benefit from surgery. If the hemorrhage is located closer to the surface of one of the brains lobes, surgical outcome is normally very good. In such cases the hemorrhage is often caused by a specific pathology, eg. arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which is a cluster of deformed blood vessels. Both the hemorrhage and the deformation are surgically removed.
The typical symptom of subarachnoid hemorrhage is an acute, sudden and severe headache. Patients often describe it as an explosion inside their head. Clinically, the condition such patients can range from appearing quite well to being very ill (comatose). Subarachnoid hemorrhage is often cause by aneurysms in one of the brains arteries. Prompt treatment is critical, because the risk of additional hemorrhage is great. The fatality rate in cases of additional hemorrhage is 50%. Treatment consists of blocking the aneurysm, using a technique known as coiling, thereby preventing further hemorrhaging. Additionally most patients require about two weeks intensive care, partly because their brains are susceptible to vasospasms (blood vessel cramps) following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Carotid artery stenosis (carotis stenosis) is one of the most common causes of strokes. The stenosis is treated either surgically or by use of an arterial catheter inserted into the artery from the patients groin.