Most posts or articles I read suggest that Aneurysms could be hereditary. My doctor suggested I should ask my neurosurgeon when I should get my kids tested (through MRI or CT scan) just to make sure. My kids are only 14 and 16 but play soccer and are very physically active. Have any of you been advised of what age should one be tested particularly if they could be genetically susceptible? Thanks!
My 14yr old was tested but only because she’d been having lots of trouble w/ vertigo and an EEG came out abnormal - all ended well and her diagnosis is migraine. I also have younger kids - my doc says not until 18, but that said, I’m glad I know my 14yr. It’s scary - worrying about the kids.
My daughter has migraines and we started testing yearly at 12. She is also very active with soccer and the thought of a head injury with an undiscovered annie worried me. After hearing that CTA’s may have more radiation than I had first believed, we have changed that to every 3 years unless things get worse or new symptoms arise. I think seeing for a few years that she had no changes, I felt much better. My son is 5 and I will probably ask for a baseline/check around his teen years too. I worry way too much!!!
Thanks for sharing. Gives me some idea and will bring up my question with the neurosurgeon next appointment. Will keep you posted. In the meantime, although I cannot help but worry, I will try not to let this rule or dictate their lives (fingers crossed, I did not pass it on to them).
My kids play soccer too, and the neuro who ordered the MRA etc for my 14 yr old said NO HEADERS!!!
My son is 15 and has occasional headaches so he is scheduled to be seen next month for an MRI. My daughter is 10 and they said not to test her until after puberty or if she starts having signs such as headaches. If my son shows signs, my daughter may be tested earlier.
I found my annie last year at age 40…my dad had a ruptured annie 10 years ago at age 56…My doctor recommended that my children are checked at age 20…I have 4 kids ages 14,12,9, and 5…If they are experiencing any symptoms I will test them before…but as of now…thats the plan!
I have three kids one boy 28 two girls 26 & 20. Both my girls have been checked and showed up totally clean. My oldest daughter will be tested every two years, my youngest daughter will not be tested again until she is between 25 & 30. My son has yet to be tested.
My son is 9 years old and he just had his brain aneurysm surgery on May 10th, 2011. He complained of headaches and we had a CT scan done last August where we then got a huge mis-read. His headaches still came around, especially when really playing hard, like youth league basketball and football. So, we had an MRI done in January 2011 and it didnt take long to find it. So, I personally dont think I’d listen to the doctor that says wait until some certain age. His was classified as Giant–2.5 CM or 25 MM. I dont even want to think of what could have happened had we waited just because of his age.
Please read my post below. Thank you.
Jeff - I’m so glad that you were pro-active and got another MRI. Your son is extremely lucky to have parents who paid enough attention to continue to pursue his symptoms. Your story chokes me up - life, and kids, are so precious.
Bless you Jeff. Someone is watching over your son. If you don’t mind me asking… is he the only one in your family with an aneurysm? Was his unruptured? Apart from the headaches, any other symptoms? As his was giant, then is that what might be causing the headaches? Reason I am asking is my kids have no symptoms at all but then most aneurysms are asymptomatic. I might have to bring more reasonable grounds to my doctor apart from genetics so he can approve an MRA. In saying that, it is important to be “pushy” in these sorts of things as it is better to be safe than sorry. Your son is a good example. I will do whatever I can to have my kids tested as soon as possible. I pray your son is recovering well.
My wife and I have both asked our families and nobody knows of any aneurysms in the family. So, I guess he may be the first. The doctors think he was born with it and it never ruptured either. Besides the headaches, he never complained about anything else. With his headaches, he ALWAYS complained of hurting in the SAME spot on his head, never anywhere else. We thought that was weird too. Like I said earlier, it only occurred when he was very physically active like playing football and basketball games. Away from that, he never complained. His was located on the left main carotid artery so I guess when he got his blood pressure pumping much faster it made the aneurysm flex so it gave him the headache. I really think we were lucky that it didnt rupture. Bryant is doing well right now, but its only been 10 days since his surgery. Hopefully everything works out for you with the kids.
So glad you kept advocating for your son. Best wishes for his recovery.
Most doctors in families with hereditary aneurysms do not recommend testing before 18, but if there are symptoms like severe headache, neurological issues, I would want to get my children seen.
Thanks for your response. Your son is very young (the youngest I know with an aneurysm and a giant one at that) so this is one important and good thing going for him in terms of recovery. I’m sure his doctors will monitor him and schedule a 6-month follow-up CTA as is the usual medical plan for all of us with treated aneurysms. You’re right about the headaches. I had no symptoms at all and mine was found by accident and everyone kept telling me how lucky I was it didn’t rupture. So your son is indeed very lucky - a giant one that didn’t even rupture. But as soon as the doctors found it, they told me to stop doing any heavy exercise (as if), lifting heavy weights or any strenuous activity. I feel it will be a worry for you now, as a parent, once he starts preparing himself to go back to his beloved sports. If he was clipped, chances are his aneurysm is as good as gone and close monitoring is the key. If it was coiled like mine, chances of regrowth are a big possibility. With the way you have handled the situation so far - he is in safe hands. Take care and God bless.
Jeff....thank you for this info...I was thinking about the cm being so large... and the #of clips supported that... had not yet asked you...it is shocking for children...You are all blessed that you did the right follow-up...
Blessings to you all for his recovery...
Cris...how was yours found with no symtpoms and testing not geared at those symptoms?
I keep getting so amazed...that when others with symptoms are overlooked and adequate testing ti diagnose, is not done...
Bryant and his parents are so blessed...it brings warmth...the right kind of warmth!
You are welcome Pat. Yes it was really large and it took 3 clips stacked along the side and then 4 more ring clips around the artery to finally make it be gone 100%. The percentage is very low for a child of his age. What really scraed us the most is that it grew from January-February at 1.6cm to May 10th 2.5 cm. Had we had taken their original appt date of July, I can only wonder whether he would have made it that long. During those 2 months or so, we literally didnt let him do anything. Do you know how hard it is to keep and very active 9-year old boy from doing anything for that long? It was very hard. So what made it grow in that timeframe, we dont know. But Im glad the wife and I persisted for the soonest date we could get.
I had an MRI for my tinnitus and that was where my 8.5 mm aneurysm was discovered. My ENR doctor ordered it “just in case”. My neurosurgeons and IR doubt that the aneurysm caused the tinnitus (because of the location and unless the annie was pressing on the nerves). I still have the tinnitus (in fact, I think it even got worse).