Anyone had a cerebral angiogram?

So, while having an MRI & MRA looking for a cause of some weird neurological symptoms I've been having, they discovered a small aneurysm on my internal carotid artery. My PCP sent the report and images to a neurosurgeon I've seen a few times for unrelated back stuff. The neurosurgeon has ordered a cerebral angiogram, and I'm a little freaked out about it.

I've googled it and understand the technique, but I'd love to hear from someone who has had one what it's like from the patient's perspective.

Anyone?

Thanks in advance!!

[Eddie1994]

Let me speak for my wife as she had one done in 1994 and it seems like last year!  Since you understand the process, let me tell you what my wife's experience as she related it afterwards.  It is some what lengthy, a team of neuroradiologists will set you up in a CT scanner, a puncture is made to the artery in the groin area and a thin wire is snaked up through the arterial system until it finally makes its way to the area that is to be studied.

My wife felt the snaking process and was able to identify its location at various points to the technologist (she was told that she was the first patient, in the technologist experience, that identified feeling the threading.)  As the dye was released she experienced a bodily warmth.  Because she was to have surgery soon afterwards for SAH clipping, she had an overwhelming thirst.  

She had to remain still for quite a few hours post angiography to keep the artery from bleeding.  So I guess its uncomfortable because you can't move much but its a small price to pay for saving your life.  By the way her brain surgery was successful but not without facing multiple perils.

[SickMomma_PDX]

Thank you, Eddie! That's very helpful to hear your wife's experience. I'm glad her surgery was successful!!

[HumanNature]

I'm in the same exact boat as you. Mine is a 2mm Right Supraclinoid ICA anuerysm. They found it on an MRA I had done of 5/6 because I have been suffering for 2 weeks from dizziness, imbalance, visual disturbances, pressure behind the eye, fatigue, nausea, and sometimes neck strain. The neurosurgeon I talked to yesterday told me that from looking at the film, it may or may not even be there as it is close to where a new vessel branches off and might be nothing. He suggested I get a angiogram (the invasive kind w/ the catheters) to see if it's really there and how big it really is. I'm scared too. Like you said, I understand the procedure, but it seems so risky, especially when I don't even know if there's anything to find. But my symptoms are still here, and otherwise I don't know how to rule out this as the possible cause.

If you don't mind me asking, where exactly is your aneurysm and how big is it?
What symptoms did you have that lead you to do the MRI?

[SickMomma_PDX]

Hi there!

I had the MRI/MRA done because the left side of my face suddenly went numb. Not total sensation loss, but more like the rubbery, not quite right feeling if you get novocaine at the dentist. But I've had weird symptoms that remain undiagnosed since 2007, too.

The initial MRA report said: "Possible 2 mm inferiorly projecting aneurysm from the inferior right terminal segment of the internal carotid artery."

I never even actually *talked* to my neurosurgeon. And it turned out that his assistant scheduled me for the wrong procedure, and I essentially had a CT version of the MRA instead of the whole invasive kind of angiogram with catheters, etc. The neurosurgeon then said that on the CT (with contrast to make it a CTA), it appeared that what I had was an "infundibulum" on the "posterior communicating artery."

Anyway, there's a lot more radiation exposure on a CT than an MRI, but with a similar situation to mine, I'd recommend you ask your doc if having a CT angiogram first might  be worth doing to see if you need the really invasive procedure, with all its inherent risks. Mind you, I'm not a doctor and not giving medical advice. I follow my doctors' recommendations most of the time. And your neurosurgeon might have very good reason to go directly to the more invasive procedure.

Good luck, and please do let me know what happens! I hope everything is all right, and that you get an answer for the symptoms you're having, many of which I share too!

[HumanNature]

Thanks so much for responding. What symptoms have you had since 2007, if you don't mind sharing. Do you think that maybe they were caused by your aneurysm?

Did the CTA tell you that you indeed had aneurysm? And is it the possible 2mm one on the ICA or is it on the posterior communicating artery? Are you going to try to treat it? Is your numbness still there, or any other symptoms?

I'll keep you updated.
Thanks again!

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

can i ask have either of ya had a strange thing like sweating on one side of your face the other dry?

[HumanNature]

No, I haven't experienced that. Aside from the sweating, are you experiencing other symptoms, and was there an event that started the occurrence of these symptoms.

[sullymike]

hi am having an angiogram done next month because of a strong family history of aneursyms is this wise or should i just go for an mri and how soon can i start back training

[SickMomma_PDX]

My layman's understanding is that the terminal end of the ICA and the posterior communicating artery are the same thing. Just two different ways to describe the area. My neurosurgeon, who I never actually saw in person about this, sent me a letter saying it was NOT an aneurysm and that he believes I don't have anything to worry about.

Of course, from what I've read on the Internet, the "infundibulum" develops into an aneurysm for some percentage of people. Other people I've heard from with that have been told to be monitored annually via MRA or CT angiogram to see if it grows into something to worry about. My docs haven't mentioned doing that, but the way things have been going, I end up with annual brain MRIs annually anyway, and I'll probably just ask that they do the MRA as well at the same time.

Oh, and you asked about symptoms -- they have grown and changed over the past three years. When I first got sick, it was literally overnight that I went from being reasonably healthy to being so sick I had to cancel my family's vacation (we were scheduled to fly to Chicago that day). I couldn't even get out of bed for 12 hours.

I had bilateral pneumonia, but after my lungs were clear, I still didn't get better. I ended up hospitalized due to really scary tachycardia and low blood oxygen levels that dipped when I was mobile. They eventually decided the chest pain I was having was due to costochondritis. Of the next few months, I developed severe joint pain in my hands, wrists and elbows. My hair was falling out by the handful. The extreme, extreme fatigue. Dizziness, fainting when I was on my feet for too long. The painful prickling in my hands (much worse on the left side) didn't start until 18 months later, although I already had it on my left foot. The facial numbness (left side) started this spring, and is still present. I had optic neuritis last spring.

I know I'm forgetting things -- my memory ***** since i got sick.

Anyway, please do let me know what you do and how things go for you!!

[SickMomma_PDX]

Nope, I haven't had that at all. What does your doctor say?

[SickMomma_PDX]

What kind of angiogram are you having? Is it the non-invasive type via MRI or CT? Or is it the super invasive kind where they put a catheter in an artery in your groin and go all the way up to your brain?

My layman's opinion is that *I* would probably do the MRI/CT variety for a family history, but I wouldn't want to do the invasive type without some symptoms or something showing up on a scan to make my doctors believe I really might have one.

Good luck!! And let us know what your doctor says.

[jc64227]

Diagnosis: Carotid Stenosis in siphon region bilaterally.Need stent.Had angiogram (Invasive type ) toward the end of the proceedure I told the Dr. I was getting a severe headache at the base of my brain and it was moving up along the left side of my brain and the brain pain I was feeling was becoming extremely painful. His response to me was " I'll give you a couple of asprin later. He finished the procedure quickly and discharged 30 mins. later. On the way home my buddy stoped to get me something to eat and I realized I couldn't swallow and make the food go down . When I got home I couldn't feel extreme hot water from the sink on my right arm and hand. No feeling on leftside of my face including my left eye. I called his office and he told me to call my Doctor at the VA who is 85 years old. No thanks.He's about as concerned as the Dr who did the angio  

[SickMomma_PDX]

OMG. That's AWFUL. And discharging 30 minutes later? You should have at least had to stay for several hours, and I thought most protocol was to admit and monitor for 24 hours. I hope you went to the ER. Was this recently??

I hope you got some help from better doctors!!