CEREBRAL ANEURYSM

A CEREBRAL ANEURYSM IS A BULGE OR BALLOONING IN A BLOOD VESSEL OF THE BRAIN. IT OFTEN LOOKS LIKE A BERRY HANGING ON A BRANCH. AN ANEURYM CAN RUPTURE, CAUSING A BLEEDING INTO THE BRAIN.

SYMPTOMS

SYMPTOMS OF AN UNRUPTURED ANEURYMS INCLUDE: PAIN ABOVE THE EYE, DILATED PUPIL, VISION CHANGES, NUMBNESS AND OR WEAKNESS TO ONE SIDE OF THE FACE.

SYMPTOMS OF A RUPTURED ANEURYMS INCLUDE: A SUDDEN SEVERE HEADACHE, NAUSEA/VOMITING, VISION CHANGES, SEIZURE, CONFUSION AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

BOTH CT AND MRI ARE OFTEN DONE WHEN A CEREBRAL ANEURYSM IS SUSPECTED. A CT SCAN MAYBE DONE INITIALLY TO DETERMINE IF THE IS A BRAIN BLEED. A MRI OR MRA IS DONE TO GET BETTER AND MORE DETAILED IMAGES OF THE ANEURYSM. A NEUROSURGEON WILL USE THIS INFORMATION TO HELP DETERMINE A COURSE OF ACTION.

TREATMENT USUALLY INVOLVES SURGERY. A NEUROSURGEON REMOVES A SMALL PIECE OF THE SKULL TO ACCESS THE ANEURYSM. A CLIP IS THEN PLACED AROUND THE ANEURYSM TO CUT OFF BLOOD FLOW TO THE BULGING AREA. THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE ANEURYSM, ALONG WITH THE HEALTH AND AGE OF THE PATIENT ARE FACTORS IN DETERMINING IF SURGERY IS THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT.

SINUSITIS

SINUSITIS IS AN IMMFLAMATION OF THE SINUSES AND NASAL AIRWAYS. SINUSITIS IS CLASSIFIED AS EITHER ACUTE (SUDDEN ONSET), OR CHRONIC (LONG TERM).

SYMPTOMS OF SINUSITIS INCLUDE HEADACHE, PRESSURE IN THE EYES, PRESSURE TO THE NOSE OR CHEEKS. ONCE THE INFECTION SETS IN A PERSON MAY HAVE A FEVER, NASAL CONGESTION, COUGH AND SORE THROAT.

XRAYS AND CT SCANS ARE THE METHOD OF DIAGNOSIS. THE SCAN WILL SHOW AIR FLUID LEVELS WITHIN THE SINUSES AND OR A THICKENING OF THE MUCOUSAL LINING OF THE SINUSES.

THE MOST COMMON TREATMENT IS ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATION. OCCASIONALLY A FLUSHING OF THE SINUSES IS DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAN OUT THE INFECTED SINUS. SOMETIMES SURGERY IS THE RECOMMENDED OPTION. SURGERY IS DONE TO REMOVE NASAL POLYPS, OPEN NASAL PASSAGEWAYS, AND IN NEEDED, STRAIGHTEN THE NASAL SEPTUM.

ORBITAL FRACTURE

ORBITAL FRACTURE

ORBITAL OR BLOWOUT FRACTURES REFER TO FRACTURES OF THE ORBITAL RIM OR FLOOR OF THE ORBIT. THESE INJURIES USUALLY OCCUR WHEN A BLUNT OBJECT HITS THE EYE SUCH AS A FIST OR A BALL. THIS CAN CAUSE FLUID TO FILL THE MAXILLARY SINUS, OR IN SEVERE CASES, WHEN THE RIM OF THE ORBIT IS FRACTURED, THE EYE BALL ITSELF CAN SLIP OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION WITHIN THE SOCKET.

SYMPTOMS INCLUDE PAIN AND SWELLING. ALSO, DOUBLE VISION, ALTERED SENSATION TO THE AFFECTED EYE, AND SUNKEN EYE (ENOPHTHALMOS). SINUS PAIN AND PRESSURE ALONG WITH NASAL CONGESTION ARE ALSO SYMPTOMS OF A BLOWOUT FRACTURE OF THE ORBITAL FLOOR.

ALTHOUGH XRAYS CAN BE PERFORMED, CT IS THE PREFERRED METHOD OF DIAGNOSIS. AXIAL, CORONAL, AND SAGITTAL IMAGES ARE USED BY THE RADIOLOGIST TO DIAGNOSE.

DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURY, SURGERY MAY BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR AN ORBIT FRACTURE. IF THE ORBITAL RIM IS NOT COMPROMISED AND THE EYE BALL IS IN PLACE THEN SURGERY IS USUALLY NOT DONE.