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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: Brain Aneurysms in InfantsForum: Neurology Forum
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Re: Brain Aneurysms in InfantsPosted by CCF Neuro MD on April 08, 1997 at 08:35:53: In Reply to: Brain Aneurysms in Infants posted by L. Edwards on April 08, 1997 at 08:34:37: : Brain aneurysms in infants This Message was posted by: L. Edwards - 4/1/97 9:04:05 PM Message: Rupture of true congenital "berry" aneurysms in infants is quite rare outside the setting of an inherited connective tissue disease. More often, so-called "AVMs" or arteriovenous malformations, are the culprit, but the rupture of an aneurysm proper is certainly not impossible. With regards to prognosis, obviously to a large extent, it depends on where the aneurysm was located, how bad the hemorrhage was and which parts of the brain it damaged etc. In general, however, the prognosis for recovery in infants especially is much better than adults given the same amount and location of hemorrhage, since an infant's brain has a much greater potential to recover than an adult's. For instance, if in an infant, the left side of the brain that ordinarily develops into the part of the brain that controls language is damaged, the right side of the brain can develop it instead, whereas in an older child or adult the capacity for such recovery or adaptation of other parts of the brain is much more greatly limited. Some unusual presentations of AVMs in infants as opposed to adults include heart failure secondary to massive "shunting" or diversion of blood into the brain from other parts of the body, and hydrocephalus, or swelling of the spinal fluid compartments within the brain, secondary to obstruction of drainage of spinal fluid out of the brain by the AVM or more often, one of the large veins in the brain draining the malformation blocking the outflow of this fluid.
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