intracranial aneurysm

8.0

A weak area in an artery inside the skull that bulges and can bleed

noun
/ˌɪntrəˈkreɪniəl ˈæn.jʊr.ɪ.zəm/

Specialized

: aneurisma intracraneal

Detecting an intracranial aneurysm early can be lifesaving and prevent a potential brain hemorrhage.

Examples

Symptoms of an intracranial aneurysm can include severe headache, vision problems, or loss of consciousness.
The surgeon explained that the patient had an intracranial aneurysm that required urgent treatment.
An intracranial aneurysm can be life-threatening if it ruptures.
Doctors diagnosed her with an intracranial aneurysm last week.
Detecting an intracranial aneurysm early can be lifesaving and prevent a potential brain hemorrhage.
The surgeon explained that the patient had an intracranial aneurysm that required urgent treatment.
Symptoms of an intracranial aneurysm can include severe headache, vision problems, or loss of consciousness.

Synonyms

cerebral aneurysm

vsintracranial aneurysm

Specialized

1 6.7

A weak bulge in a brain artery that can burst and cause bleeding

focuses on a bulge inside the skull and general serious complications if it bursts

Surface Forms

intracranial aneurysm singular

intracranial aneurysms plural

Morphology

intracranial + aneurysm

The meaning is directly compositional: 'intracranial' (inside the skull) + 'aneurysm' (a bulging artery) yields a bulging/dilated artery located within the cranial cavity. Despite being technical medical vocabulary, the semantic relation is literal and mirrors similar compound constructions in other languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Intracranial aneurysm breaks into parts: intra- means 'inside', cranial means 'skull', and aneurysm means a 'bulge' or small balloon in an artery. Imagine a tiny balloon forming on a thin pipe inside the head; if it 'bursts' it causes very serious problems, so the name explains a dangerous 'bulge' inside the skull.