Duke's Cerebrovascular Center offers expert diagnosis and treatment for patients with brain aneurysms.

Brain aneurysms are bulges on a patient’s blood vessels in the brain that result from weakening of the vessel wall. Aneurysms predispose a patient to brain hemorrhaging, which can cause serious brain damage or even death.

Diagnosis

Our doctors use the most advanced technological equipment and procedures to diagnose a brain aneurysm. We use conventional and three-dimensional CT and cerebral angiography to examine the brain's blood vessels and diagnose an aneurysm.

After diagnosis, the team of specialists then determines the best course of treatment for the patient.

Treatment

If an unruptured aneurysm is detected, Duke physicians consider the size and location of the aneurysm as well as the patient's age and medical condition before proceeding with treatment.

When a patient has a ruptured aneurysm, doctors begin treatment as quickly as possible to prevent further rupture that could lead to stroke or death.

A team of specialists including neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists help to determine the best course of treatment. Treatment options include:

• Endovascular treatment
• Microsurgical treatment

Our ultimate goal is to exclude the aneurysms from the normal blood circulation and to preserve the flow of blood in the uncorrupted arteries.

Aneurysm Treatment Examples

The following slideshow shows images of patients with brain aneurysms, before and after treatment

An angiography revealed a broad-based basilar-tip aneurysm in a 45-year-old female.

[1 of 14]

Doctors performed stent-assisted coiling of her basilar-tip aneurysm. She recovered with no neurologic deficits. 

[2 of 14]

A 63-year-old female presented with right side weakness. An MRI revealed she had a giant, calcified basilar-tip aneurysm.

[3 of 14]

The team decided that microsurigical clipping would be best option to treat the aneurysm.

[4 of 14]

The aneurysm was clipped using skull base approaches and andenosie arrest. Her symptoms have recovered completely.

[5 of 14]

A 38-year-old male suffered a seizure. An MRI revealed he had a giant, calcified internal carotid aneurysm.

[6 of 14]

Another view of the calcified internal carotid aneurysm.

[7 of 14]

The team decided that microsurgical clipping would be best option to treat the internal carotid aneurysm.

[8 of 14]

A 58-year-old female came to the Cerebrovascular Center with a sudden headache. MRI revealed she had a giant, paraclinoid aneurysm.

[9 of 14]

The team of doctors decided microsurgical treatment followed by a cerebral bypass was the best treatment option.

[10 of 14]

Doctors performed a cerebral bypass via the saphenous vein in her leg. The bypass was followed by occlusion of the intenal carotid artery.

[11 of 14]

A 40-year-old male presented with progressive hemiplegia and prior brain stem strokes.

[12 of 14]

He was found to  have a giant dissecting aneurysm of the basilar artery.

[13 of 14]

Doctors performed a radial artery bypass from the external carotid to posterior cerebral artery followed by endovascular occlusion of the vertebral artery. The patient's symptoms are improving daily.

[14 of 14]

Appointments

For information about scheduling an appointment with a specific doctor, visit the Contact Us page.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Britz, Gavin W.
  • Surgery / Neurosurgery
  • Radiology
• Enterline, David S.
  • Radiology / Neuroradiology
• Smith, Tony P.
  • Radiology / Vasc/Intervention Radiology
• Zomorodi, Ali R.
  • Surgery / Neurosurgery

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Health Center at Morreene Road (Neuroscience)
  932 Morreene Road, Durham, NC 27705
• Duke Neurosurgery of Raleigh
  3480 Wake Forest Road, Suite 500, Raleigh, NC 27609
• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710