Cerebral Aneurysm

What causes a cerebral aneurysm?

Currently, the cause of cerebral aneurysms is not clearly understood. The formation of cerebral saccular aneurysms has been associated with predominantly two factors: an abnormal degenerative (breaking down) change in the wall of an artery and the effects of pressure from the pulsations of blood being pumped forward through the arteries in the brain. Certain locations of an aneurysm may create greater pressure on the aneurysm such as at a bifurcation (where the artery divides).

The forming of a cerebral aneurysm has also been linked to risk factors that are inherited or may develop later in life (acquired risk factors).

Inherited risk factors associated with aneurysm formation may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • alpha-glucosidase deficiency – a complete or partial deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme, alpha-glucosidase. This enzyme is necessary to break down glycogen and to convert it into glucose.
  • alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency – a hereditary disease that may lead to hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver or emphysema of the lungs
  • arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein
  • coarctation of the aorta – a narrowing of the aorta (the main artery coming from the heart)
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – a connective tissue disorder (less common)
  • family history of aneurysms
  • female gender
  • fibromuscular dysplasia – an arterial disease, cause unknown, that most often affects the medium and large arteries of young to middle-aged women
  • hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia – a genetic disorder of the blood vessels in which there is a tendency to form blood vessels that lack capillaries between an artery and a vein
  • Klinefelter syndrome – a genetic condition in men in which an extra X sex chromosome is present
  • Noonan’s syndrome – a genetic disorder that causes abnormal development of many parts and systems of the body
  • polycystic kidney disease (PCKD) – a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of numerous cysts filled with fluid in the kidneys. PCKD is the most common medical disease associated with saccular aneurysms.
  • tuberous sclerosis – a type of neurocutaneous syndrome that can cause tumors to grow inside the brain, spinal cord, organs, skin, and skeletal bones

Acquired risk factors associated with aneurysm formation may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • age (greater than 40 years of age)
  • alcohol consumption (especially binge drinking)
  • atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque (made up of deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin) in the inner lining of an artery
  • current cigarette smoking
  • use of illicit drugs such as cocaine or amphetamine
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • trauma (injury) to the head
  • infection

A risk factor is anything that may increase a person’s chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases have different risk factors.

Although these risk factors increase a person’s risk, they do not necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk factors never develop the disease, while others develop disease and have no known risk factors. Knowing your risk factors to any disease can help to guide you into the appropriate actions, including changing behaviors and being clinically monitored for the disease.

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