Cigarette Smoking Cigarette Smoking Increases the Risk Of Increases the Risk Of

Formation and Rupture Formation and Rupture of Intracranial of Intracranial

AneurysmsAneurysms

Shelebra BartleyShelebra BartleyMaster’s ProjectMaster’s Project

Dr. GrimesDr. Grimes

If you are a woman with a If you are a woman with a brain and you smoke…brain and you smoke…

Your brain will EXPLODEYour brain will EXPLODE

Quick ReviewQuick Review An aneurysm is a weakened spot on An aneurysm is a weakened spot on

a blood vessel that balloons out and a blood vessel that balloons out and fills with bloodfills with blood

The aneurysm can put pressure on The aneurysm can put pressure on surrounding nerves or it can rupture surrounding nerves or it can rupture causing blood to spill into the causing blood to spill into the surrounding tissuesurrounding tissue

3 Types of Aneurysms3 Types of AneurysmsFusiformFusiformBerry Berry Lateral Lateral

Berry AneurysmBerry Aneurysm Aka saccular aneurysmAka saccular aneurysm Attached by a neck or a stem to an Attached by a neck or a stem to an

arteryartery Accounts for 90% of all aneursymsAccounts for 90% of all aneursyms

Berry AneurysmBerry Aneurysm

How to diagnose an How to diagnose an Aneursym?Aneursym?

CT angiographyCT angiography Magnetic Resonance Angiography Magnetic Resonance Angiography

(MRA)(MRA)

THE GOLD STANDARDTHE GOLD STANDARD INTRA-ARTERIAL CATHETER INTRA-ARTERIAL CATHETER

ANGIOGRAPHYANGIOGRAPHY

CT Scan Arteriogram

Treatment OptionsTreatment Options REFERREFER REFERREFER REFERREFER

EducationEducation Stop smokingStop smoking

Stop drinkingStop drinking

Control blood pressureControl blood pressure

Helsinki Research ResultsHelsinki Research Results Studied 278 subjectsStudied 278 subjects Age 15-60 with subarachnoid Age 15-60 with subarachnoid

hemorrhagehemorrhage 314 patients in control group314 patients in control group

Research team studied the effects of Research team studied the effects of cigarette smoking, alcohol intake and cigarette smoking, alcohol intake and HTN on the rupture of intracranial HTN on the rupture of intracranial aneurysmsaneurysms

What they found…What they found… Current cigarette smoking especially in Current cigarette smoking especially in

women is an independent risk factor women is an independent risk factor for formation and rupture of for formation and rupture of intracranial aneurysmsintracranial aneurysms

Current smokers and previous smokers Current smokers and previous smokers had more aneurysms than did those had more aneurysms than did those who had never smoked regularlywho had never smoked regularly

Johns Hopkins ResearchJohns Hopkins Research Angiography confirmed intracranial Angiography confirmed intracranial

aneurysmsaneurysms 419 patients dx with intracranial 419 patients dx with intracranial

aneurysmaneurysm

127 had multiple aneurysms127 had multiple aneurysms Women and hx of smokingWomen and hx of smoking

Anybody need a smoke Anybody need a smoke break?break?

University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado 92% of patients with aneurysms 92% of patients with aneurysms

larger than 24mmlarger than 24mm

78% of patients with aneurysms 78% of patients with aneurysms ranging in size from 13.3mm to 24mm ranging in size from 13.3mm to 24mm

66% of patients with aneurysms 66% of patients with aneurysms smaller than 13mmsmaller than 13mm

WEREWERESMOKERSSMOKERS

IN CONCLUSIONIN CONCLUSION Evidence has shown that cigarette Evidence has shown that cigarette

smoking increases the rate of smoking increases the rate of formation and rupture of intracranial formation and rupture of intracranial aneurysmsaneurysms

Cigarette smoking and female Cigarette smoking and female gender can be identified as an gender can be identified as an independent risk factorindependent risk factor

If you are a woman with a If you are a woman with a brain and you smoke…your brain and you smoke…your

brain will explodebrain will explode