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CNI Neuroimaging Service
Patient Care
Aneurysms
Intracranial (brain) aneurysms are outpouchings from the normally smooth wall of a blood vessel (similar to the bulging that can occur at a weak point of a tire). Aneurysms usually form at points of increased stress on vessel walls and are weaker than the normal artery. It is this weakness that makes them susceptible to rupture. Rupture of a brain aneurysm results in subarachnoid hemorrhage, which refers to bleeding within a specific space around the brain. This is an extremely serious condition and can result in death or severe disability.
Conventional treatment for aneurysms has involved a craniotomy (opening the skull) with placement of a clip (like a small clothespin) across the neck of the aneurysm. This essentially eliminates the risk of future hemorrhage. However, less invasive, interventional treatments may be possible for some patients. CNI offers Guglielmi Detachable Coiling (GDC), an advanced procedure through our Interventional Neuroradiology Service.
About Guglielmi Detachable Coil (GDC)
Introduced in the early 1990s, GDC is a technique that involves advancing a platinum coil into an aneurysm and then subsequently removing it by electrolysis. This procedure can only be used under certain circumstances and with the joint input of a neurovascular surgical team. This technique has proven particularly effective in preventing aneurysms from re-rupturing, at least in the short term. The ability of the GDC to prevent hemorrhage over many years, as has been demonstrated with aneurysm clipping, is still being determined. At CNI, each patient with an intracranial aneurysm is evaluated on an individual basis for GDC treatment. Learn more.
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