So I am the most competitive person ever (and I think everyone in my class will agree) and I entered into this contest hosted by the AAPA (American Association of Pathologists’ Assistant) Student Committee…so therefore, I must win. The link is above, but I will also tell you the whole case here!
This was a 52 year old patient who collapsed and died suddenly at work. I left the rotation before I got to learn the final cause of death, but I do know that she didn’t die from her multiple Berry Aneurysms in her brain! A berry aneurysm (also known as saccular aneurysm) are found in about 2% of the population and arise when you have a weakening in one of the arteries in your brain. The weakening usually occurs at “branch” points displayed below. The image shows the Circle Of Willis which is located at the base of your brain and consists of a bunch of arteries that supply oxygenated blood to over 80% of the brain.
It is the most frequent cause of spontaneous (subarachnoid) hemorrhage in the brain with the majority occurring sporadically, but there appears to be a genetic link to them as well. There has been an increased incidence of aneurysms in first-degree relatives! This was important in our case because the decedent had a few children and siblings. This is helpful to the family as they could get imaging done (MRIs) to check to see if they have aneurysms too and to avoid a possible ruptured aneurysm (aka a brain bleed). Other predisposing factors include cigarette smoking and hypertension (high blood pressure).
Fun fact: Rupture of these aneurysms can occur at anytime, but about 1/3 of cases occur with acute increases in intracranial pressure, such as with STRAINING WHILE POOPING OR SEXUAL ORGASM!!
Below I’ll put some of the pictures that were taken at autopsy of her brain with the aneurysms 🙂 I am not a great teacher so if anyone has any questions or is extremely confused, message me!
Sectioning Success: My Time as a PA Student 