What are the differential diagnosis while being screened for a Cerebral Aneurysm?

The list of possible other diagnosis is long. Most commonly, the symptoms that may put a health professional on alert for an cerebral aneurysm, are some of the same signs and symptoms that would put them on alert for a more common diagnosis, or those diagnosis, that effect a larger percent of the population.

Examples of common diagnoses you or a love one may received might be: migraine headache, cluster headaches, meningitis, stroke or TIA, brain tumor, head injury with intracranial bleeding.

Some lesser known differential diagnoses may include:

• Trigeminal neuralgia ( a painful syndrome effecting the fifth cranial nerve that may effect both motor and sensory control of chewing, and jaw movement)
• Systemic lupus erythematosis, ( an auto-immune disorder effecting a larger number of women than men)
• Arteriovenous malformation, ( a congenital arterial defect that puts the patient at risk of hemorrhage, similar to that of a ruptured aneurysm), and
• Vertigo

Your doctor will not take any of the above diagnoses lightly- the further diagnosis of an aneurysm requires a “high index of suspicion,” and your lifestyle or risk factors associated with lifestyle may raise your doctors suspicion.

If you feel you have been diagnosed with health concern, and you are not responding to therapy or feel, like there may be more to your story. Discuss with your healthcare provider the importance of ruling out a cerebral aneurysm.