Charcot–Bouchard aneurysms are

aneurysms An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

of the brain vasculature which occur in small

blood vessel Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many Animal, animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the Tissue (biology), tissues of a Body (bi ...

s (less than 300

micrometre The micrometre (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a uni ...

diameter). Charcot–Bouchard aneurysms are most often located in the lenticulostriate vessels of the

basal ganglia The basal ganglia (BG) or basal nuclei are a group of subcortical Nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclei found in the brains of vertebrates. In humans and other primates, differences exist, primarily in the division of the globus pallidus into externa ...

and are associated with chronic

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

. Charcot–Bouchard aneurysms are a common cause of

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its ventricles, or into both. An ICH is a type of bleeding within the skull and one kind of stro ...

. Charcot–Bouchard aneurysm rupture might be linked to senile plaque formation in the Alzheimer's disease.

Retina The retina (; or retinas) is the innermost, photosensitivity, light-sensitive layer of tissue (biology), tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some Mollusca, molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focus (optics), focused two-dimensional ...

l microaneurysms are seen in conditions like

diabetic retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy (also known as diabetic eye disease) is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes. It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries and one of the lead causes of sight loss in the wor ...

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

related retinal microangiopathy,

sickle cell retinopathy Sickle cell retinopathy can be defined as retinal changes due to blood vessel damage in the Human eye, eye of a person with a background of sickle cell disease. It can likely progress to loss of vision in late stages due to vitreous hemorrhage or r ...

, idiopathic macular telangiectasia etc. In diabetic retinopathy, due to breakdown in

blood–retinal barrier The blood–retinal barrier, or the BRB, is part of the blood–ocular barrier that consists of cells that are joined tightly together to prevent certain substances from entering the tissue of the retina. It consists of non-fenestrated capillaries ...

, microaneurysms may leak plasma constituents into the retina, or it may thrombose.

Signs and symptoms

If a Charcot–Bouchard aneurysm ruptures, it will lead to an intracerebral hemorrhage, which can cause

hemorrhagic stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop ...

, typically experienced as a sudden focal paralysis or loss of sensation.

Pathophysiology

Charcot–Bouchard aneurysms are

in the small penetrating

s of the brain. They are associated with

. The common artery involved is the lenticulostriate branch of the

middle cerebral artery The middle cerebral artery (MCA) is one of the three major paired cerebral artery, cerebral arteries that supply blood to the cerebrum. The MCA arises from the internal carotid artery and continues into the lateral sulcus where it then branches an ...

. Common locations of hypertensive

hemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, ...

s include the

putamen The putamen (; from Latin, meaning "nutshell") is a subcortical nucleus (neuroanatomy), nucleus with a rounded structure, in the basal ganglia nuclear group. It is located at the base of the forebrain and above the midbrain. The putamen and c ...

, caudate,

thalamus The thalamus (: thalami; from Greek language, Greek Wikt:θάλαμος, θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter on the lateral wall of the third ventricle forming the wikt:dorsal, dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of ...

pons The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum. The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of ...

, and

cerebellum The cerebellum (: cerebella or cerebellums; Latin for 'little brain') is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as it or eve ...

. As with any aneurysm, once formed they have a tendency to expand and eventually rupture, in keeping with the Law of Laplace.Nussbaum ES, Erickson DL. The fate of intracranial microaneurysms treated with bipolar electrocoagulation and parent vessel reinforcement.

Neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the specialty (medicine), medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system ...

. . 1999;45(5):1172-4; discussion 1174-5.

Diagnosis

Usually not detected by CT angiography.

l microaneurysms can be diagnosed using

ophthalmoscopy Ophthalmoscopy, also called funduscopy, is a test that allows a health professional to see inside the fundus of the eye and other structures using an ophthalmoscope (or funduscope). It is done as part of an eye examination and may be done as part ...

fundus photography Fundus photography involves photographing the rear of an eye, also known as the fundus (eye), fundus. Specialized fundus cameras consisting of an intricate microscope attached to a flash (photography), flash enabled camera are used in fundus pho ...

FFA FFA may refer to: Aviation and military * First Flight Airport, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States * Free-fire area in U.S. military parlance * Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein, a Swiss aircraft and railway vehicle manufacturer * Fe ...

, and OCT.

History

Charcot–Bouchard aneurysms are named for the French physicians

Jean-Martin Charcot Jean-Martin Charcot (; 29 November 1825 – 16 August 1893) was a French neurology, neurologist and professor of anatomical pathology. He worked on groundbreaking work about hypnosis and hysteria, in particular with his hysteria patient Louise A ...

and

Charles-Joseph Bouchard Charles Jacques Bouchard (6 September 1837 – 28 October 1915) was a French pathologist and an esperantist born in Montier-en-Der, a commune the department of Haute-Marne. Biography He studied medicine in Lyon and Paris, where he obtained his ...

. Bouchard discovered these aneurysms during his doctoral research under Charcot.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charcot-Bouchard aneurysm Gross pathology Cerebrovascular diseases

Signs and symptoms

Pathophysiology

Diagnosis

History

See also

References