Failure To Diagnose Aneurysm

An aneurysm is the ballooning of a weak portion of a blood vessel.  The danger of a misdiagnosed or undiagnosed aneurysm is that it can burst, like a balloon, and severe internal bleeding can follow.  Failure to timely or properly diagnose an aneurysm may be due to medical malpractice.

Brain Aneurysm
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A brain aneurysm is a weak spot in an artery located within the brain.  Symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm include: dilated pupils, double vision, headache, pain above and behind the eye, and cranial nerve palsy.  Most people who experience a rupture of a brain aneurysm suffer from: nausea, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and/or loss of sensation.

Brain aneurysms can be treated.  How they are treated depends on when they are identified or diagnosed.  Where a bleeding aneurysm is misdiagnosed, or goes undiagnosed, it can cause extensive brain damage, paralysis, coma, or death.

Aortic Dissection (Dissecting Aneurysm)

An aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner layer or lining of the aorta - the body's largest artery - which is responsible for transporting oxygen rich blood from the heart to vital organs and throughout the body.  When a tear develops in the inner lining of the aorta, blood enters the middle layer of the aorta, causing the inner and middle layer to separate (the blood acts like a wedge).  Where the infiltrating blood reaches and penetrates the outer wall of the aorta, the rupture will usually be fatal.

A dissecting aneurysm is a dangerous condition because it has virtually no symptoms.  Diagnosis usually requires a computed tomography (CT) scan, computed tomographic angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and/or angiogram (arteriogram). 

Symptoms of an aortic dissection include:
  • sudden severe chest or upper back pain;
  • a shearing sensation in the upper back;
  • shortness of breath;
  • weakness; and
  • loss of consciousness.
Bottar Law, PLLC, has decades of experience investigating, prosecuting and trying to verdict medical malpractice cases involving the failure to diagnose a brain aneurysm, aortic dissection, or dissecting aneurysm.  Contact us now to discuss your case or concerns.