Docs save 40-year-old Nepali woman with largest-ever brain aneurysm
Gurugram: Doctors here have successfully treated a 40-year-old woman from Nepal suffering from one of the largest brain aneurysms ever recorded.
Brain aneurysms are dangerous swellings of blood vessels in the brain, which can rupture, leading to severe bleeding. Typically, aneurysms usually measure only a few millimetres to a cm in size.
However, in this extraordinary case, the aneurysm was an astounding 4×5 cm, an unprecedented size, according to Dr Vipul Gupta from the Artemis Agrim Institute of Neurosciences in Gurugram.
He told IANS that treating large aneurysms is far more challenging than treating smaller ones. The risks of complications are considerably higher in cases of very large aneurysms.
The patient had been leading a healthy life until one week ago when she experienced sudden episodes of right-sided weakness, severe headache, and vomiting. Fearing the worst, she sought immediate medical attention at a local hospital in Nepal.
A brain MRI revealed a massive, densely enhancing lesion, prompting concerns that it might be a swollen blood vessel.
Further examinations, including CT-angiography and MR-angiography, confirmed the diagnosis of a brain aneurysm.
The imaging in Nepal showed that the aneurysm had entirely encompassed one of the major blood vessels of the brain. Given the complexity of the case, the patient was referred to the Artemis.
At Artemis, doctors utilised high-resolution DSA, 3D Angiography, Angio CT to evaluate the aneurysm in detail. The examination revealed that the entire blood vessel, the posterior cerebral artery, was affected.
Given the immense risk involved in attempting to fully repair the blood vessel, the medical team decided to explore alternative routes for blood supply and to close the damaged blood vessel completely. This innovative procedure involved inserting two small tubes into the swollen artery of the brain.
“The utmost care was taken to close the smallest segment of the blood vessel, minimising any potential harm to the patient’s brain. Using two micro catheters simultaneously, the medical team successfully closed the blood vessel in the designated segment. As a result, blood was redirected through alternative routes, ensuring that the patient remained clinically stable,” said Dr Gupta, Director, Neurointervention.
“Post-operation, the patient was closely monitored, with her intracranial pressure being regulated, and she received medications, steroids, and blood thinners. Remarkably, she continued to improve and was discharged in good clinical condition,” he said.