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Signs & Symptoms of an AVM

Let’s look at what an arteriovenous malformation is; incidence and prevalence of the condition; and common signs and symptoms. Then we will briefly discuss how to get AVM treatment.

 

What is an AVM?

AVMs, short for arteriovenous malformations, are vascular system problems that involve a nidus (abnormal blood vessel amalgamation) with feeding arteries that forego a capillary bed and connect straight to a drainage network. Arteries are responsible for carrying the oxygen and other nutrients within the blood outward – from the heart to all other cells of your body. Veins are the inward carriers, bringing the blood back to the heart after its oxygen and other supplies have been delivered. Moving in between the arteries and veins are the capillaries. When an AVM develops, its mishmash of connected veins and arteries without capillaries stands dangerously in the way of the body’s ability to perform circulation.

An arteriovenous malformation may form in any part of your body. However, it most often occurs in the spinal cord or brain. The majority of people with AVMs in their spinal cord or brain do not have very many symptoms, as indicated by the US National Library of Medicine. However, these types of AVMs can lead to headaches, seizures, and the other symptoms discussed below.

As suggested by the prevalence and incidence figures (also below), this condition is not common. Typically this health disorder arises either during pregnancy or a short time following birth. They can be identified by doctors using imaging tests.

Beyond headaches and seizures, spinal and brain AVMs can have devastating consequences if they bleed. Since blood vessels and the brain are so closely linked as an embryo develops, AVMs often suggest that there may be issues with brain tissue as well.

Note that brain AVMs can damage brain tissue over time. The effects slowly build up, often resulting in symptoms during early adulthood. Once a person gets to middle age, though, brain AVMs tend to remain stable and are less likely to cause symptoms.

 

How often does an AVM occur?

According to statistics from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS):

  • The incidence (occurrence of new cases) of AVM is approximately 1 in 100,000.
  • The prevalence (occurrence of new and established cases) is about 18 in 100,000.
  • Approximately two-thirds of AVMs take place in individuals who are under 40 years old. Typically symptoms emerge between ages 10 and 40.
  • In about 1 out of every 25 people who experience an AVM, it will be coupled with a hemorrhage.
  • If the hemorrhage does happen, there is a 10% chance of death, 15-20% chance of stroke, and 30% chance of neurological damage.

Signs & symptoms of AVMs

It is typical for a cerebral AVM not to present any symptoms at all up until the point of hemorrhage. The patient may, however, notice symptoms in the absence of a rupture, such as:

  • headache or pain in one area of the head
  • seizure
  • weakness or numbness within the muscles in one body area
  • poor coordination
  • paralysis
  • faintness or vertigo
  • severe unsteadiness
  • sight irregularities or loss of vision
  • difficulty forming language and talking
  • difficulty perceiving what others mean
  • pins-and-needles in the hands or feet
  • disorientation or hallucination
  • psychological disturbances and troubles with memory
  • bruit (a sound similar to a rush of air, audible via a stethoscope when it is against the skull).

A dural AVM could exhibit the following symptoms:

  • disturbances to vision
  • neurological issues that resemble those of a stroke
  • tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • headache.

A spinal AVM may have symptoms including:

  • Weakness or numbness in the extremities that is sudden or becomes worse
  • Extreme and sudden back pain, or chronic back pain.

The sign of a brain AVM that occurs the most often and is the most potentially destructive is a subarachnoid or intracranial hemorrhage. If a hemorrhage does occur, you need to act right away. Sadly, the AVM is not detected in almost half of patients until a hemorrhage has occurred. In the event of hemorrhage, symptoms may include:

  • Unconsciousness or lack of alertness
  • Lack of feeling or loss of strength
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Stronger reaction to light
  • Vision problems (such as blurred or double)
  • Frustration or disorientation
  • Neck or shoulder stiffness or pain.

Generally speaking, some pregnant women may have worsened symptoms due to changes in blood volume and blood pressure.

A vein of Galen malformation (VOGM) is one type of AVM. In a VOGM, signs and symptoms emerge soon after birth. Fluid buildup within the brain and swelling of the head can occur because of the primary blood vessel that is part of this brain AVM. Signs and symptoms include congestive heart failure; swollen veins that are visible on the scalp; seizures; and failure to thrive.

Treatment for AVM

Are you worried that you or your child might be suffering from an arteriovenous malformation? At Acadiana Neurosurgery, we offer different treatment options using state-of-the-art technology to help patients get optimal results. Learn more.

Author admin Categories LifeStyle, Medical, Uncategorized

Understanding the Symptoms of Acoustic Neuroma

Acoustic neuroma is a rare condition that causes hearing loss and other ear-related issues — it a benign tumor on a nerve that transmits both sound and balance information. These are usually slow-growing tumors that take years to develop and while these tumors aren’t cancerous, as they grow, they create several problems. If the tumor grows large enough, it can dangerously press on the brain stem and inhibit normal drainage of cranial fluid.

Acoustic neuroma usually causes a series of symptoms that appear slowly and subtly, often mistaken for natural signs of aging. . Should you recognize any of these patterns, contact us at Acadiana Neurosurgery for further investigation of your symptoms.

One-Ear Indicator

Age-related hearing loss generally makes speech less clear, particularly in difficult listening situations, such as on the telephone or in loud restaurants, for example. Age-related loss is also typically bilateral. In the absence of injury or damage, both ears are affected about the same.

Though it’s not the only reason behind hearing loss in only one ear, acoustic neuroma typically begins on one side, so if you suspect you have age-related hearing loss, but you have a “good” ear that you favor, it may be time for a hearing assessment with acoustic neuroma in mind. This is particularly true if your one-sided hearing loss is accompanied by any of the following symptoms.

Sounds of Silence

Tinnitus is often commonly called “ringing in the ears,” however that’s something of a misnomer, since the phantom sounds of tinnitus need not resemble ringing. You may experience sounds that resemble what you might hear at a concert, where microphones are over-amplified. Tinnitus can be lower pitched also, like an electrical hum. Any persistent noise you can hear that isn’t coming through the environment qualifies as tinnitus.

With acoustic neuroma, your tinnitus will likely also favor one side, the same as that with the more advanced hearing loss.

Vertigo and Imbalance

The vestibular nerve that acoustic neuroma typically affects is responsible for balance. As the neuroma irritates this nerve in earlier stages of tumor growth, feelings of dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance arise commonly.

However, since neuroma affects one side, the rest of your body’s balance systems may compensate, so if you find that imbalance or vertigo disappears, it may be due to this compensation, rather than an improvement of the neuroma condition. Also, there are many other conditions of the inner ear that create similar balance or vertigo conditions.

Pressing Ahead

Once the acoustic neuroma reaches sufficient size, it may press against the skull’s inner lining, called the dura, which can sense pressure against it. This translates to a feeling of pressure on the side of the acoustic neuroma and it can cause headaches, both near the location of the tumor and radiate to other parts of the head.

In the Face

It’s possible that the neuroma could grow sufficiently to press on facial nerves. This typically results in weakness of facial muscles, particularly those involved with closing the eye, raising the eyebrow, or creasing the forehead. You may experience numbness in parts of your face, and your sense of taste and tear formation may change.

These are, however, more common in the later stages of acoustic neuroma development. Chances are, you will be diagnosed due to other symptoms before these changes begin.

Treatment of acoustic neuroma includes monitoring for tumor development when symptoms are mild and growth is minimal. Surgery and radiation treatments are options when the effects of acoustic neuroma become more extreme.

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References:

http://american-hearing.org/disorders/acoustic-neuroma/

https://www.webmd.com/brain/acoustic-neuroma-causes-symptoms-treatments#1

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acoustic-neuroma/symptoms-causes/syc-20356127

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/specialty_areas/otology/conditions/acoustic-neuroma/symptoms.html

Author admin Categories Medical, Uncategorized

5 Myths and Facts About Spinal Fusion

When it comes to your spine, you’re right to be cautious about having any work done on it. Sometimes, however, spinal problems that cause severe pain and limited movement require medical intervention for you to live your life normally.

At Acadiana Neurosurgery in Lafayette, Louisiana, we specialize in spinal treatments, and our number one goal is to help you regain pain-free movement.

To that end, we offer several pain-relieving spinal procedures, including spinal fusions. As you consider your options, we’ve pulled together five myths and facts about spinal fusions that may help with your decision.

  1. Spinal fusions are only for severe back injuries

While spinal fusions are sometimes used to correct fractures along your spine, we also use this technique to resolve many other painful back conditions, including:

  • Degenerative disk disease
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Tumor
  • Infection
  • Scoliosis

The goal of a spinal fusion is to prevent abutting vertebrae from moving against one another, irritating the nerves in the area, and many conditions can lead to this painful friction.

  1. Spinal fusions cause immobility

While you won’t be joining the US gymnastics team anytime soon, a spinal fusion doesn’t “freeze” your spine entirely. Your spine is made up of 33 vertebrae and, together, they provide you with a fairly wide range of motion. When we fuse together two vertebrae, you’ll still enjoy considerable movement — the immobility is localized to just the vertebrae that are fused together.

It’s also worth noting that the pain that brought you to this point has probably greatly diminished your movement, which means a spinal fusion will likely help you regain mobility.

  1. A spinal fusion isn’t 100% guaranteed

This statement is true. While the results of spinal fusions are good, they aren’t 100%. Of those who undergo a spinal fusion, around 80% experience significant relief from their pain, while the remaining 20% feel little to no difference. The location of your spinal fusion has a significant impact on these results — the best results are fusing at your L5-S1 level (L is lumbar, S is sacrum, and together it’s the lumbosacral joint).

  1. Spinal fusion is the last resort

When we turn to a spinal fusion, our goal is to stop your pain by limiting any friction in the area that may be irritating your nerves. Leading up to a spinal fusion, we use several techniques before resorting to surgery, such as ablations, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications.

While we always look for nonsurgical options first, we hesitate to call a spinal fusion a last resort. We work with every patient to find the treatment that will best restore pain-free movement, and a spinal fusion is one such treatment.

In the unlikely event that your spinal fusion proves ineffective, rest assured that we continue to work with you until your problem is resolved to your satisfaction.

  1. There’s a lengthy recovery after a spinal fusion

Any time you have surgery, you should allow time for your body to heal. The same is true of a spinal fusion. The primary goal of your recovery is to get your vertebrae to fuse correctly, which can take three to six months to complete. That means that you’ll need to limit your movements, especially lifting, bending, and twisting.

During this time, you’ll undergo physical therapy, which will help your recovery enormously. A physical therapist helps you strengthen your back and gives you at-home exercises to help your spine recover gradually and safely.

Should your recovery progress smoothly, you’ll be free to participate in more strenuous activities after six months.

So, to answer this question, it depends on what your definition of “lengthy” is. If you’ve been a prisoner of debilitating back pain for years, six months hardly seems like a long time if the result is freedom from suffering.

If you have more questions about spinal fusion surgery, we invite you to call us at Acadiana Neurosurgery, or set up a consultation using the online booking tool.

References:

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/spinal-fusion/

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/spine-fusion-risks-and-complications

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/spinal-fusion-surgery-recovery-one-three-months-post-operation

Author admin Categories Medical, Uncategorized

What Is Post-Concussion Syndrome?

If you’ve had a concussion and your head still hurts or other symptoms continue a few weeks or months after the injury, you could have post-concussion syndrome (PCS). At Acadiana Neurosurgery, we can evaluate your symptoms and help you develop a plan to heal as quickly as possible.   

What is PCS?

Recovery from a typical concussion should only take a week or two. Post-concussion syndrome is a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI), where some of your concussion symptoms linger for weeks or months, sometimes even longer.

About 10% of people who suffer sports-related concussions and a third of people with non sports-related concussions develop PCS.

Symptoms of PCS   

When you come into Acadiana Neurosurgery, you should always discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor, so we can help you get the treatment you need. Common PCS symptoms include

  • Dizziness

  • Tiredness

  • Insomnia

  • Irritability

  • Memory loss

  • Reduced concentration

  • Blurred vision

  • Sensitivity to noise and light

Researchers are still figuring out what causes PCS

It’s not clear what causes PCS, and it’s still a mystery why some people who suffer concussions develop the condition while others don’t. One possibility is that in some people the impact that caused the concussion also caused some other damage to the brain, and symptoms like depression and insomnia might be caused by the stress of having a serious injury.

A PCS diagnosis is more common in women than in men, possibly because women are more likely to go to the doctor when they don’t feel well.

Age can be a factor, too. Past age 40, people with a concussion are more likely to develop PCS.

Diagnosing PCS

Unfortunately, there isn’t a specific test for PCS. At Acadiana Neurosurgery, we examine you and ask about your symptoms. We may also order imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, to check for bleeding or other brain issues that could be causing your symptoms.  

Treating PCS

There isn’t a treatment for PCS as a condition. Instead, the doctors at Acadiana Neurosurgery treat your specific symptoms. Most people with PCS will recover within a few months to a year. For some, it can take longer. Treating symptoms can help you feel better while you heal.

Your doctor may recommend pain relief for headaches, exercise and psychological counseling for depression and anxiety, and brain training with a specialist if you’re having problems with your memory or with problem solving. If you’re experiencing dizziness, you may be referred to a specialist, such as an ear, nose, and throat doctor.

What to bring to your medical appointment

To understand how you’re feeling and how best to treat you, your doctor will want to know all your symptoms and what may have worked to relieve them so far. Bring a list of all the medicines you’ve been taking, including nonprescription drugs and any vitamins and supplements.

You should also prepare a list of your symptoms. If you’ve been having problems with your memory, ask a family member or friend who sees you often to come along to the appointment.

Make a list of questions to ask your doctor about PCS. These might include:

  • What, if any, tests do I need?
  • Are there any activities I should avoid while I recover?
  • Is it okay if I drive?
  • Can I drink alcohol?

If you have more questions about post-concussion syndrome, we invite you to call us at Acadiana Neurosurgery, or set up a consultation using the online booking tool.

Author admin Categories Medical, Uncategorized

Six Myths and Facts About Brain Aneurysms

Brain aneurysms are the stuff of legend, with stories of people who are fine one moment and in excruciating, life-threatening pain the next. While there may be some truth to this, the larger truth behind a brain aneurysm is, thankfully, far less dramatic.

 

Here at Acadiana Neurosurgery, Dr. Jason Cormier have extensive experience helping their patients manage and treat their brain aneurysms, with the goal of avoiding the more serious complications.

 

In order to help you better understand what a brain aneurysm is, and what it is not, we’ve pulled together the following list of six myths and facts about this brain condition.

 

1. An aneurysm is a ticking time bomb

While a brain aneurysm does present a potential problem, it’s far from a foregone conclusion. In fact, the phrase, “having an aneurysm,” implies that all aneurysms burst, and that is simply not the case.

 

An aneurysm is a small weak spot in a blood vessel in your brain, usually near the base of your brain, that bulges out due to the pressure of your blood pumping through. Some reports suggest that six million people in the United States have an aneurysm, and most of them go through their entire lives unaware of the condition. Only in rare cases, about 1% per year, does the pressure build up, causing the aneurysm to leak or burst, which is when the condition becomes very serious, and potentially fatal.

 

2. It strikes out of nowhere

Technically, a brain aneurysm develops over time, though in some cases you may be born with poorly-formed blood vessels. In either case, an aneurysm, especially one that is near to bursting, is typically long in the making.

 

3. A ruptured aneurysm is always fatal

The good news is that a full 60% of those who experience a rupture survive. The bad news is that two thirds of those who survive a rupture are left with varying degrees of permanent neurological impairment. We say varying degrees, because it depends upon the extent and location of the ruptured aneurysm.

 

4. There’s no warning

While there are some cases when a brain aneurysm ruptures and quickly leads to death, these are very rare occurrences. Of the few who experience a ruptured brain aneurysm, there are telltale symptoms beforehand that indicate that your blood vessel is in trouble. These symptoms include a sudden and severe headache, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, loss of balance, and impaired vision.

 

Some people experience these symptoms for days, or even weeks, but we urge you to seek medical attention at the first sign of these symptoms. While uncommon, these symptoms can also indicate a large aneurysm that hasn’t ruptured.

 

5. Brain aneurysms only affect women

While not completely true, women are three times more likely than men to have a brain aneurysm. Medical researchers don’t fully understand why this is so, but it may have something to do with estrogen levels, especially when they begin to drop once women reach their 40s.

 

6. There’s no cure for an aneurysm

Since most aneurysms go undetected, most don’t require a “cure.” If, however, you do have an aneurysm that has ruptured, we have several ways to deal with the problem, including surgical clipping, endovascular coiling, and flow diverters. How we approach the problem largely depends upon the size, progression, and location of the rupture. Our main goal in these cases is to prevent complications from developing and to manage the symptoms.

 

When it comes to brain aneurysms, there’s a fair amount of misinformation out there. While an aneurysm has the potential to be a serious problem, these cases are not the norm. As with every aspect of your health, if you suspect something is wrong, early medical intervention is your best defense against the likely, and the unlikely.

 

And that’s where we can help. As trained neurologists, we can spot issues that warrant further investigation, giving you peace of mind. If you have more questions about brain aneurysms, we invite you to call our office in Lafayette, Louisiana, or schedule a consultation using the online booking tool on this website.

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