What is an aneurysm?

An aneurysm, a bulge or blister in an artery wall, can develop as the vessel wall becomes stretched and weakened from an infection, injury, or high blood pressure or because of a genetic weakness in the artery. Aneurysms can become life-threatening when they rupture and hemorrhage. Aneurysms can also burst and leak blood into the cerebrospinal fluid, even the brain itself. Arterial bleeding can cause increased pressure in the brain cavity and reduce the flow of blood to brain tissue. In both these cases the result may be a stroke.

A network of arteries and other blood vessels runs through your body, carrying blood from your heart to the rest of your body. An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel wall. The artery wall stretches outward as the pressure of the blood it carries pushes against a weak portion in the wall. If the artery wall is very thin, the aneurysm can rupture, causing internal bleeding. While aneurysms can occur in various places throughout the body, aneurysms in the brain artery, heart artery and abdominal aorta are common and can be life threatening particularly if they rupture.

An aneurysm is an enlargement of a blood vessel that can occur anywhere in the body, but is most common in the brain, chest, or abdomen.  An aneurysm is sometimes referred to as a circumferential ‘swelling’ or ‘dilation’.  If you imagine that one of our body’s larger blood vessels may originally be the diameter of a nickel, an aneurysm can cause that blood vessel to enlarge to the diameter of a quarter or a silver dollar over time.  The largest blood vessel in the body, called the aorta, can enlarge to the diameter of a soda can or even larger.

When a blood vessel is stretched or enlarged from an aneurysm, it makes the wall of that blood vessel weaker than normal and susceptible to tearing (called a dissection) or rupturing.  In most cases, the enlargement happens slowly over several months or years, not days or weeks.  Based on the location, size, and growth rate of the blood vessel, your doctor may recommend regular check-ups and pictures of the aneurysm and/or surgery when the enlargement is advanced.

An aneurysm is a ballooning of the artery, often caused by increased pressure on the inner walls of the blood vessels through a condition such as high blood pressure, or hypertension. This ballooning may cause the blood vessel to rupture, causing internal bleeding.

An aneurysm is a bulging section in the wall of a blood vessel that has become stretched out and thin. As the wall of the blood vessel bulges out, it becomes weaker and may burst or rupture, causing bleeding.

If an aneurysm in the brain bursts, it may cause a stroke. An aneurysm in a vessel that carries a lot of blood, such as the aorta, is often fatal if it bursts.

An aneurysm is a large pocket or bubble in a blood vessel that forms a weak spot in the vessel's wall, which can be life-threatening if it ruptures; some people may have a genetic tendency to develop aneurysms.