Bleeding happens in the brain for many reasons, including blunt force trauma, blood clotting deficiencies and congenital blood vessel defects. Internal bleeding can damage the brain in irreversible ways.
Some of the more common conditions we treat associated with intracranial bleeding are:
Clots - A blood clot is a thickened mass in the blood formed by tiny substances called platelets. Clots form to stop bleeding, such as at the site of a cut. Clots are not supposed to form when blood is flowing freely through the body and if they do form inside blood vessels or if your blood has a tendency to clot too much, there is the potential for the clot to travel to your brain and block normal blood flow.
Brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) - Brain arteriovenous malformations are a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels (arteries and veins) which have a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels. Although AVMs can occur anywhere in the body, brain AVMs are of special concern because of the damage they can cause when they bleed. A CT Scan or MRI is used to diagnose an AVM.
Because so many variables are involved in treating these masses of abnormal blood vessels in the brain, the neurosciences specialists at Riverside assess the danger posed to individuals by potential AVM bleeding and subsequently develop an individualized treatment plan on a case-by-case basis. Advanced treatments offered by the neurovascular team include embolization in which an angiogram is utilized as a therapeutic tool. All treatment modalities for brain arteriovenous malformations are available at Riverside including embolization, radiosurgery and traditional surgery.
Brain aneurysms - The two main treatment options currently used for brain aneurysm (ruptured or un-ruptured) are open surgical clipping and endovascular coiling. Although minimally invasive coil embolization is the preferred procedure for most brain aneurysms, Riverside offers a full range of treatment modalities. In all cases, the Riverside neurovascular team will evaluate each aneurysm on an individual basis to determine the safest and most effective treatment option.