© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
For long, actor Salman Khan has been known to battle trigeminal neuralgia, where a nerve that carries signals from the face to the brain malfunctions and is compressed, causing intense and stabbing pain on the face. Even light touch from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup may trigger pain equivalent to an electric shock. He even had a surgery in 2011 to relieve pressure on this nerve. But in the latest season of The Great Indian Kapil show on Netflix, he admitted to fighting two other neurological conditions.
“I’m working despite having trigeminal neuralgia, there’s an aneurysm in the brain, yet I’m still working. There’s also an AV malformation (AVM), and still, I’m carrying on,” Khan told Sharma.
“Both are neurological conditions that can co-exist. Though both may not always be life-threatening, if they rupture, they can cause complications like haemorrhage. These conditions usually are seen in those over 50. Brain AVMs are common in men, brain aneurysms in women,” says Dr Sonal Gupta, Director & HOD, Neurosurgery, Fortis, New Delhi
What is AV malformation?
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. In an AVM, arteries connect directly to veins, bypassing the capillaries that normally regulate blood flow and deliver oxygen to cells. So, there is a sudden gush of blood flow in people with AVM, which puts pressure on the vessels, causing them to bulge and weaken over time.
Most people with AVMs are asymptomatic. If symptoms have not appeared by they are 50, they may never appear. Nearly 12 per cent of patients have some symptoms.
This is a congenital condition. Although present at birth, an AVM may be found soon after birth or much later in life, depending on its size and location.
What is an aneurysm?
An aneurysm is a weak or expanded part of an artery, like a bulge in a balloon. It is localised and can be caused by factors like high blood pressure, atherosclerosis or genetic predisposition. An aneurysm can form in any of the arteries in your body, be it the heart, brain, abdomen or legs. Most brain aneurysms develop in adulthood. The vast majority of brain aneurysms don’t rupture.
Are aneurysms and AVMs linked?
If both occur in the brain, then there is a close association. Some studies show the incidence of aneurysms associated with AVMs to be 58 per cent.
What are symptoms of AVMs and aneurysms?
AVM patients complain of an ear buzz, headache, backache, seizures, muscle weakness, facial paralysis, speech and motor problems and loss of consciousness. When complicated, there is a risk of stroke and haemorrhage. Aneurysms make you feel light-headed with a rapid heartbeat. There is a sudden, severe pain in your head, chest, abdomen or back, confusion, nausea and vomitting. If an aneurysm ruptures, it causes internal bleeding, which is serious.
What are risk factors of both conditions?
High cholesterol and high blood pressure.
What are treatments?
Now there are minimally invasive surgeries like threading a catheter through blood vessels to reach the AVM. Radio surgery or focussed radiation can shrink AVM. For aneurysm, soft platinum coils are deployed via a catheter to prevent rupture. Aneurysm less than 4 mm can be kept under close monitoring. Minimally invasive surgery is advised only if it increases in size.
