Symptoms of carotid artery aneurysm

People may not know much about carotid artery aneurysm, and there are still many different opinions about the causes of carotid artery aneurysm. Some people think that carotid artery aneurysm is caused by congenital factors, while others believe it is caused by arteriosclerosis. It can be divided into different levels according to its symptoms. For example, the first level has no obvious symptoms, mainly mild headache. The higher the grade, the more severe the symptoms of carotid aneurysm become. Therefore, we must attach great importance to and actively prevent the occurrence of carotid aneurysm.

1. What is Carotid Artery Aneurysm?

Carotid artery aneurysm is commonly caused by arteriosclerosis, trauma, bacterial infection, syphilis or congenital cystic medial necrosis of the arterial wall. It is a result of damage and thinning of the arterial wall, which gradually expands and dilates under the action of blood flow pressure to form an aneurysm. Carotid artery aneurysms Carotid artery aneurysms can occur in the common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, external carotid artery and their branches. Those caused by carotid artery sclerosis often occur at the bifurcation of the bilateral carotid arteries, while those caused by trauma are mostly located in the internal carotid artery and are less common through the external carotid artery.

2. Clinical manifestations of carotid artery aneurysm

1. The symptoms of carotid artery aneurysm are very special. Its main feature is a lump in the neck, with obvious pulsation and murmur. However, a small number of patients may experience layered thrombosis and varying degrees of cerebral ischemia.

2. Headache, dizziness, aphasia, tinnitus, memory loss, hemiplegia, movement disorders, blurred vision, etc. are all common symptoms of cervical arterial tumors. In addition, the enlargement of arterial tumors will also compress the nerves, larynx, trachea, and esophagus, which may cause nerve paralysis, difficulty swallowing and breathing, etc.

3. Aneurysm rupture can cause bleeding, suffocation and sudden death.

3. Main hazards of carotid artery aneurysm

In a few tumors, the pulsation is weakened or disappears due to blockage of the tumor cavity by layered blood clots. Occurrence in the common carotid artery and the internal artery can affect the blood supply to the brain. The detachment of blood clots in the tumor can cause cerebral infarction. The patient may experience severe symptoms of cerebral ischemia, such as headache, dizziness, aphasia, tinnitus, memory loss, hemiplegia, movement disorders, blurred vision, etc. As the tumor grows, it compresses the nerves, larynx, trachea, and esophagus, causing cranial nerve paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing.

4. Classification of Carotid Aneurysms

1. True aneurysm: mostly caused by arteriosclerosis, the aneurysm is dilated and swollen, mostly in a fusiform shape, and the lesions often involve the entire circumference of the arterial wall and vary in length. The wall of the tumor is unevenly thin and may rupture spontaneously, causing massive bleeding.

2. Pseudoaneurysm: mostly caused by trauma, the aneurysm wall is composed of the arterial intima or surrounding fibrous tissue, the aneurysm contents are blood clots and organized substances, the aneurysm is in a sac-like state, connected to the artery, and has a narrow neck.

3. Dissecting aneurysm: It is mostly caused by congenital cystic medial necrosis of the arterial wall. When necrotic lesions occur in the middle layer of the arterial wall, when the intima ruptures, under the action of arterial pressure, blood flows to form a hematoma in the middle layer and extends to the distal end to form a dissecting aneurysm.