Strange symptoms

I hope this post does not make me seem silly, but I am just curious. I have a 2mm aneurysm it is in a weird spot, azygos anterior cerebral A2, and some other thing. But anyway, over the past year, my balance has been bad. Fell down the stairs and broke my ankle. Rages-out of nowhere and headaches on the right side. Could any of this be related to such a little guy?

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Hey Abbycat,
Unless you are a fully qualified neurologist (which I doubt) your statement in no way makes you look silly.
Could your symptoms be related, certainly. Small changes in the brain can have some massive effects. The effects of an altered blood flow can also impact function, having a azygos anterior cerebral A2, would cause exactly that, an altered blood flow. We aren’t neurologists either, so the full effect of both the annie and the azygos anterior cerebral A2 would need to be examined by a neuro team with experience in both conditions.

My balance has been a huge issue, I stand up, I see stars, I wobble a bit and find the floor with a thud, on a few occasions the wife has had to call an ambulance. Those ambulance calls have been because I’ve had ‘odd’ symptoms and ignored them when I shouldn’t have, only to have things progress to the point of collapse (wifey not happy). My advice:-Don’t ignore it.

Our brains develop as we mature around these abnormalities and sometimes it’s not until symptoms get to a ‘tipping point’, where odd sensations turn it to weird symptoms, that we question ‘Is that normal?’. From my experience, some medicos can be very quick to dismiss symptoms as of minor concern or even psychosomatic, but if you think there’s something amiss, go have a scan, get it checked out. What’s the worst they can say ‘No change, all is OK’, but if you are symptomatic, things are only going to progress. Because those progressions can be slow and subtle, we sometimes don’t notice until there’s a major issue. It would be much better to get on top of it now, than to leave things until you get to that ‘point of collapse’.

I’d strongly recommend you do not just focus on the annie as being the sole cause but rather a contributing factor to your overall symptoms. Blood flow in the brain is of critical importance and needs to be examined holistically and not in isolation.

Hope it helps and please let us know how things go.
Merl from the Modsupport Team

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Hey @Abbycat70! I agree with Merl, get it checked out. It certainly won’t hurt. In my experience, Residents, for the most part, seem to go by the book and don’t look outside the box so to speak. Specialists and PCPs with a little more experience under their belt are more prone to not dismiss things so lightly. My last procedure has all but stopped my stuttering, so blood flow can effect the smallest of things, can’t it? A good neurologist will hopefully figure it out. And since every Dr and their assistants all ask about falling, I’m guessing that’s an important issue for us.

Please let us know how it goes!
All the best,
Moltroub

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It seems like a rare one. it is a wide neck Pericallosal. WIth azygos anterior cerebral A2- whatever that means. It or was very small. But I think I was told it was in a tricky spot. Do you know anything about these types of aneurysms?

Also, I have had 3 concussions, one had to be sown up, two lost consciences
, 3rd could not walk. PLus yo minor bonks. The last smash was in 2012 and then Annie found in 2018. Was told it probably messed up y executive functioning. I need a helmet

Abbeycat70, I found this for explaining the location of your aneurysm Anterior cerebral artery | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.org

From quick glances on a search, seems like they are rare. My aneurysm is at the top of the Circle of Willis and I was never a candidate for a stent. My surgeon didn’t want to use a flow diverter as she didn’t want to be limited to any further repairs, I think she said. But this type of stent was just approved in 2019 by the FDA and she used it, https://www.strykerneurovascular.com/us/products/hemorrhagic/neuroform-atlas-stent-system

I carry a card now.

I’m laughing at your helmet statement! I wear one when I’m sawing logs, literally. At our old house, I used to bump my head quite hard on a floor joist when I went down to the cellar, I cut up one of those noodles for swimming and put it on the dang thing!

All the best,
Moltroub

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OK Abbeycat here goes, I’m going to ‘try’ in VERY laymans terms what a ‘azygos anterior cerebral A2’ is BUT I can not express how important it is that your individual case be examined AND EXPLAINED by a fully qualified neuro. Every patient’s body has it’s own unique make up and structure, I can explain an individual part of the brain but how that interacts both with surrounding brain structures and other regions of the brain, that’s way, way out of my league.

This first image shows the normal anterior cerebral artery and 2nd shows the azygous form

Again, in very basic terms, this sort of shows what I was saying earlier about the importance of changes in blood flow. Having two separate vessels allows twice the flow compared to a single vessel. The ACOM allows the blood to flow between the 2 vessels, helping to regulate the pressure. As the ACOM is missing in azygos anterior cerebral A2 some of that regulation is reduced and it seems for some people with this anomaly, berry annies do occur where the 2 vessels meet.

Here’s a link specifically on Azygos anterior cerebral artery, I’d suggest reading it in conjunction with Moltroub’s first link on ACA’s
Azygos anterior cerebral artery | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.org

Hope it helps
Merl from the Modsupport Team

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I don’t have any links to share, but I have a feeling that it’s more likely the concussions that are the biggest cause of your symptoms. I’m no doctor, and like I said I don’t have even anything to share now to back myself up, it’s just a feeling for now. That being said, the explanation shared about your blood flow being decreased is also a very good theory, very good indeed. Either way, you should be in the care of a good quality neurologist and neurosurgeon (two separate doctors) and them keep an eye on you and take you seriously about your symptoms and how they affect your quality of life. I would agree that having regular scans or even scans when you’re concerned something is wrong are a perfectly acceptable plan.

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Hi Abby,

I am not a doctor, but I think that 2mm is so small that you should not be having any feelings. I suggest to go to your neurologist. I know how difficult it is to feel that it could be your aneurysm. your neurologist will be able to answer your question. I have a 5mm. Thank God, I have no symptoms. but we all diffrent. your doctor is the best in answering this question. try to relax sometimes stress can cause us to feel that way.

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It is 2.5 cm not mm it grew

Hello! I had a rupture of an aneurysm on the pericallosal artery that was clipped and I also have one on the opposite side on the same artery that is being watched. I also have not been able to find much information on them, as they are rare (from what I have read). It doesn’t sound like a lot of people like to go in and clip because of the location but my surgeon was amazing. I was so blessed to have him be the doctor on call and now my surgeon. He was able to clip the ruptured aneurysm with very very few lasting effects.

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How weird. My aneurysm is in the spot and they are considered rare!

Hey Abbycat,
It seems that when it comes to neuro conditions there are a number of factors that can contribute to it’s rarity. I have a growth in the centre of my brain. It’s usually found in children, mine wasn’t identified until I was in my mid 20’s. That’s rare. Often in their teens their resulting disabilities from an untreated growth can be catastrophic. I had some impairments, but nothing catastrophic, seems that’s rare. And the size of this thing… :astonished: …and with minimal symptoms, that’s super rare. Add all of this up and the Dr’s told me ‘It’s rare’, but it’s ‘rare’ within certain parameters.

There are a few differing types of annies. And having a certain type of annie in a position not often seen, can make it rare too. Just the fact that an Azygos anterior cerebral artery that is involved, maybe enough for them to label it ‘Rare’.

Merl from the Modsupport Team

Hi Mod… Have you ever had something like brain shocks?

Hey Marjorie,
It depends on your definition of ‘Brain Shocks’.

Personally, I get a couple of differing types of ‘Shocks’, one like a kick to the back of my head and another like an electrical current being passed through me, sometimes just my head, sometimes through my entire body.

There are times when those shocks zap and slowly diminish, but at times that ‘kick to the back of my head’ type triggers a constant, mind numbing, OMG headache. Like the pressure building in my head is going to make my eyes explode from my skull.

So, yes, I get ‘brain shocks’.

Merl from the Modsupport Team

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Makes my head jerk and leaves me with a headache.
Thank You…

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