What is a Brain Aneurysm?
A cerebral or intracranial aneurysm is an abnormal focal dilation of an artery in the brain that results from a weakening of the inner muscular layer (the intima) of a blood vessel wall. The vessel develops a “blister-like” dilation that can become thin and rupture without warning. The resultant bleeding into the space around the brain is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This kind of hemorrhage can lead to a stroke, coma and/or death.
Read this excellent article prepared by American Association of Neurological Surgeons that also includes an audio clip of A Neurosurgeon Explains: Unruptured Brain Aneurysms.