ETIOLOGY AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY

Etiology

PREDISPOSING ACTUAL IMPLICATION FACTORS

FACTORS FINDINGS
Family History Present When 1 or 2 family members
develop Brain Aneurysm, the risk of
first-degree relatives >30 years old is
estimated to be at risk as high as 12-
15% to develop one themselves. The
presence of aneurysms in multiple
family members suggests a genetic
predisposition to aneurysm
development. Those with two or
more relatives who had
subarachnoid hemorrhage have
between a 6 and 20% risk for
developing an aneurysm.
History of Previous Absent Individuals who have had an
Brain Aneurysm aneurysm are at a heightened risk of
developing new aneurysms, as well
as experiencing recurrent aneurysm
ruptures.
Age 42 years old Brain Aneurysms can occur at any
age. It occurs most commonly in
people between ages 35 and 60, but
most aneurysms develop after age
40.
Sex Male Brain aneurysms develop more
commonly in women than in men at
a ratio of 3:2.
Race Filipino African-Americans are twice as likely
as Caucasians to have a Brain
Aneurysm rupture. Hispanics are
also nearly twice as likely as
Caucasians.

PRECIPITATING ACTUAL IMPLICATION FACTORS

FACTORS FINDINGS
Smoking Absent Current smokers and those who
have a history of smoking are at risk
for aneurysms and rupture. There is
also a direct relationship between
frequency or time spent smoking and
aneurysm risk.
Hypertension Present Hypertension is the leading cause of
subarachnoid hemorrhage, or
 bleeding between the brain and the
surrounding membrane, which
occurs when a brain aneurysm
ruptures. It can weaken arteries and
Aneurysms are more likely to form
and to rupture in weakened arteries.
Polycystic Kidney Absent This inherited disorder results in
Disease fluid-filled sacs in the kidneys. It also
may increase blood pressure. It has
been linked to a higher risk of Brain
Aneurysms, which can cause SAH.
Alcohol Present Alcohol consumption may increase
Consumption the risk of developing a Brain
Aneurysm. Excessive alcohol intake
can lead to increase blood pressure,
which weakens blood vessel walls,
potentially making them more
susceptible to aneurysms.
Head Trauma Absent A previous head injury, especially
with a skull fracture, may raise the
risk of developing a Brain Aneurysm
Connective Tissue Absent Conditions that affect the strength
Disorder and integrity of blood vessel walls,
such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or
Marfan syndrome, can increase the
risk of an individuals to the
development of aneurysms, which
can rupture and lead to SAH.
Drug Abuse/Use Absent Drug abuse or illicit drug use may
increase the risk of developing a
brain aneurysm. The use of certain
drugs, particularly stimulants like
cocaine and methamphetamine can
spike a person’s blood pressure and
inflame the blood vessels, potentially
making them more susceptible to the
formation or rupture of an aneurysm.
Obesity Absent Excess weight, or a diagnosis of
obesity based on body mass index
(BMI), can put pressure on the heart
and the artery walls, increasing the
risk of an aneurysm.

Symptomatology

SYMPTOMATOLOGY ACTUAL IMPLICATION FACTORS

FINDINGS
Headache Present A sudden and severe headache is a
 hallmark symptom of a potential
aneurysm rupture. It may indicate
that the aneurysm has burst, causing
bleeding into the brain (subarachnoid
hemorrhage)
Seizure Absent Seizures can occur in the context of
a ruptured aneurysm due to irritation
and damage to the brain caused by
bleeding and the presence of blood
in the subarachnoid space. This
irritation can disrupt normal brain
function and lead to abnormal
electrical activity, resulting in
seizures.
Confusion Present Confusion can occur when an
aneurysm ruptures due to the
sudden release of blood into the
brain, leading to increased
intracranial pressure. This disrupts
normal brain function and can cause
neurological symptoms, including
confusion.
Neck pain/stiffness Present Neck pain/stiffness can result from
an aneurysm's impact on
surrounding structures or irritation of
the meninges when it presses
against them.
Nause and Vomiting Present Nausea and vomiting can occur as a
result of increased intracranial
pressure.
Dizziness Present Dizziness with an aneurysm can
occur due to the aneurysm's impact
on blood flow and pressure within the
brain. Aneurysm-related changes in
blood vessel function or compression
of nearby structures can disrupt
normal neurological processes,
leading to dizziness as one of the
possible symptoms.
Focal Neurological Absent Focal neurological deficits result from
Deficits (weakness, an aneurysm's rupture or
numbness, difficulty of compression of adjacent brain areas.
speech, and changes Bleeding or pressure from the
in vision) aneurysm can disrupt normal neural
pathways, causing symptoms like
weakness, numbness, speech
difficulty, or changes in vision,
depending on the location and extent
of the impact.
Loss of consciousness Absent A sudden loss of consciousness may
 occur if an aneurysm ruptures,
leading to a subarachnoid
hemorrhage.
Drooping of eyelid Absent Drooping of the eyelid (ptosis) can
occur when an aneurysm
compresses or damages nerves
controlling eye muscles, specifically
the oculomotor nerve. This
interference leads to reduced muscle
function, causing dropping of eyelid
as one of the possible symptoms of
aneurysm-related neurological
disruption.
Pain surrounding the Absent Pain around the eye, often called a
eye "sentinel headache," can occur
before an aneurysm ruptures. This is
due to the aneurysm's pressure on
pain-sensitive structures or minor
leaks of blood.
Sensitivity to light Absent Sensitivity to light, or photophobia,
can occur as a prodrome before an
aneurysm rupture. It may be related
to the aneurysm's impact on the optic
nerve or irritation of the meninges.