Can a 3mm cerebral aneurysm be dangerous?

I recently had an MRI to try to determine the cause of my prolonged double vision, and the doctor said that although he could find nothing to explain the vision problem, he did notice a 3mm aneurysm.  He suggested that I have another MRI in 12 months time to see how it's going.  Is this reasonable or should I be doing something more?

[TJM24]

Welcome to the small aneurysm club.  I had an MRA for some headaches I was having back in late June.  I got a call a few hours later that scared the heck out of me.  They told me I had a 3 mm aneurysm.  I fretted for several weeks before I got in to see a neuro.  I had already researched surgeries, etc. figuring its a ticking time bomb and surgery was required.  To my surprise the neuro really put me at ease and recommended the exact thing as your doc: recheck it in 12 months.  Its still a bit unsettling but he was adamant that no surgeon would operate on this at this stage.  He actually called it a pre-aneursym or infindubulum.  Where is your aneurysm located?  Mine is in the anterior communicating artery.  He put me on no limitations other than no smoking.  I told him I love to workout, play sports and lift weights.  He said I could do whatever I wanted so long as it did not include power lifting 400 lbs or something extreme like that.  

[crwstar]

Hi - I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Have you been referred to a neurosurgeon?

Your question is a good one. Its one I asked when I was originally diagnosed 1.5 years ago. I found that you could go to 5 different doctors and get different responses from each. There's a number of factors that determine if yours fall into a dangerous category. If you have a family history of aneurysms, or have high blood pressure or smoke these are things to look into or change. I have read of people having annie's rupture as small as 2.4mm so anything is possible but just get yourself with a good neurosurgeon who does a thorough history and make a plan for follow up. I go in at this point once a year. First time around they found the 3.5 mm annie and this last CTA they did, there were two more tiny annies. What's reduced my stress is simply knowing I have a plan.

It wasn't until after I found out I had the aneurysm and saw the first neurosurgeon that I found out I have family members who had annies or had history of strokes and TIA's.

Find yourself a good neurosurgeon whom you can have yearly check ups with and join the wait and watch group ;-)

Wishing you well.
C-star

[mona498]

i have just been diagnosed with a 2mm aneurysm which showed up on mra  my mri scan showed up normal before that i was suffering with what was called cough headache syndrom (syndrome) has anybody else  had symtons like this my neoroligst says this cough  headache is not connected to my anurysm also if the anurysm is small could this be a mistake i am very worried

[missfiveday]

hey I have a family history of Aneurysms in both side of my family.  My uncle passed away 3 yrs ago from an aneurysm which prompted my dads side of the family to get checked. My dad has 2 in his brain and has been on a waiting list in Toronto for the 3 years.  My mom went in due to double vision and came out with the diagnosis of 2 small aneurysms.  My mom wasn't planning on pursuing anything more, tho the doctor urged her to, she is yet to follow up.

[sunrize12]

I have a 3mm aneurysm.  I was diagnosed by a neurologist.  Should I also get an opinion from a neurosurgeon?  Neurologist says to watch and wait.  Mine is in the left internal carotid artery.

[Eddie1994]

The rate of growth is what is important.  If you have other conditions that can affect it like high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes etc., you may want to ask your Neurologist to watch it on a more frequent basis to reduce your anxiety.  Usually a size near 5mm is when surgery is warranted on most aneruysms, however, I'm sure cerebral aneruysms would have a lower threshold.

[JLD69]

I am sorry to hear about your aneurysm.  I was recently diagnosed with 2 of them one 3mm and the other 2mm.  The response was have another MRI in 12 months.  I don't wish to have surgery however; it is very unsettling to know they could at some point rupture.  Still a bit nervous.  Good luck with your health.

Jami

[Jimmy100]

Hello everybody concerned about these things in your brains, I had 3 in mine measuring 4, 5 and 6mm.  I live in northern Ireland and found out about these in 2010.  In 2011( Aug and Dec) I had all three successfully coiled with platinum, the procedures were painless as I was asleep and I can honestly say that within 2 days of the procedures I was home.  the Surgeon went through my groin and passed the coils through my vein into all the anyerysms, this said I spent in total 16hours under aesthetic for the procedures.  I suffered next to no side effects other than loss of concentration,  I also do not suffer the severe headaches I used to get, I do still get them but they are no where as bad as they were.  Do not worry they are fixable with little disruption.

[TJ731]

I was just diagnosed with a 3-4 mm outpouching or aneurysm in the carotid arter. Mine is doing the watch it and see mode and plans to do a MRA (MR angiogram) in 3 months to see if there are any changes. If there are changes in the size he plans to do a regular angiogram and insert a catheter into the leg and up into the artery to see if the carotid wall has thinned and if there is blockage. He gave me quite an education. An MRA is magnetic and has no xray or radiation involved. A CT angiogram has the radiation involved of about 50-100 xrays. And a regular angiogram has the equivalent radiation of 500+ xrays. He is going to do the least invasive right now which is the MRA. If he finds a definite change he will then go to the conventional angiogram that goes up through a catheter in the groin. I actually had a carotid aneurysm which resulted in two mini strokes I didnt even know I had and Im only 52.  I guess I should welcome myself to the aneurysm club.  

[hbananas]

I found out this week I have a 5mm one, but I don't know the specific location.  It looked to me like it was more near the front than the back of the head on the left side of the arteries that form the circle.  I am waiting for a call from the neurosurgeon's office to make an appointment to have it evaluated.

[BobL1]

I have been diagnosed of having aneurysms in both legs, i am 53 years old, i am awaiting mapping to be done on the legs, what do they mean by mapping.
They have carried out tests on the Aorta and stomach and said that there is nothing there, they now want another scan on my stomach after they said there is nothing there, does this mean that they have found something else or am i worrying about nothing.
Thanks

[celticangel70]

hi i was diagnosed with 3mm brain annie in 2009 when i had a stroke. it was supposed to be checked every three months for the first year then once a year after. needless to say it's never been rechecked and since i have no income or insurance they will not do an mri. i've been to er several times and they do a ct and nothing shows not even the stroke. i've had a constant headache for a little over three years now, somedays worse than others but always there. anuerisms don't run in my family but apparently clots do. niece suffered a pulmonary embolism at age 19, nephew also and mother passed away 18months ago with a dbl pulmonary embolism. i can't get any blood work, carotid ultrasounds, mri/mra, or anything done. i'm on 325mg aspirin daily, 1800mg nuerotin, crestor, adivant, folic acid, zoloft, vicadin, meclizine, albuterol inhaler and nasonex. i feel like a flipping pharmacy

[canadianhockeymom]

Would a 4mm venous abnomaily be the same as a 4mm aneursim?

[sara12345]

I didn't look up what all of your medications are treating to find out if you are taking blood pressure med.  It is very important to control your blood pressure below 150 as the top number to avoid a rupturing of the aneurysm.  You should get a blood pressure device to check it periodically.  You don't say why you have no income, but it would be important to try to get the money to get an MRA to check its size. If it gets larger, it could very easily rupture and then you're most likely to be history.  Under ObamaCare, you should be able, or soon to be able to get low cost health insurance which could be your solution, especially if it turns out that the aneurysm needs to be treated.  Wish you the best.