Man, 42, almost dies during sex after brain aneurysm suddenly ruptured

Man, 42, nearly dies during sex after brain aneurysm suddenly ruptures

  • The 42-year-old man from Indonesia suddenly lost consciousness during sex
  • Medics found that the aneurysm had caused a traumatic brain injury

A man nearly died during sex after his brain aneurysm ruptured.

And medics warned it could have left the 42-year-old with severe brain damage.

He suddenly lost consciousness while having sex with his wife, before vomiting and becoming weak on the right side of his body.

When he went to the hospital three hours later, the unidentified man from Surabaya, East Java in Indonesia, also had a series of full-body seizures on his way to the hospital.

Doctors who treated him and described his case in a medical journal revealed that he had an aneurysm – a bulge in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain.

During sex, the aneurysm ruptured, causing an acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) – a serious brain injury that causes blood to pool between the skull and the surface of the brain.

The 42-year-old suddenly lost consciousness during sex, before vomiting and feeling weakness on the right side of his body. Going to the hospital three hours later, the unknown man from Surabaya, East Java in Indonesia also had a series of full-body seizures on his way to the hospital

Doctors did not explain what caused his aneurysm to suddenly rupture.

But strenuous exercise that causes shortness of breath and a spike in heart rate is often the trigger.

Studies have shown that two-thirds of those suffering from aSDH survive.

But half of those who survive are left with severe brain damage and disability.

The condition is usually caused by a head injury.

What is a Brain Aneurysm?

An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall, usually where it branches.

As blood flows through the weakened blood vessel, the blood pressure causes a small area to bulge outward like a balloon.

Aneurysms can develop in any blood vessel in the body, but the two most common sites are:

Most brain aneurysms do not cause noticeable symptoms until they burst (rupture).

This leads to an extremely serious condition known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage, where bleeding caused by the ruptured aneurysm can cause extensive brain damage and symptoms.

Symptoms include:

  • A sudden agonizing headache – it is described as a “thunderclap headache”, similar to a sudden blow to the head, resulting in a blinding pain the likes of which has never been experienced before
  • A stiff neck
  • Sickness and vomiting
  • Pain when looking at light

About 3 out of 5 people who develop a subarachnoid hemorrhage die within 2 weeks.

Half of those who survive are left with severe brain damage and disability.

Source: GGZ

But in eight percent of cases, patients get aSDH as a result of a ruptured aneurysm, the doctors said.

To enrol Case reports for radiologysaid doctors at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital that the man had no previous headaches and no history of trauma.

He also had never taken anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, or erectile dysfunction drugs, which can increase the risk of an aneurysm.

The date of the incident was not revealed in the case report.

The results of a routine physical examination showed that the man had a dangerously high blood pressure of 183/105 mm Hg.

Ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60 and 120/80 – or lower than 150/90 if you’re over 80, according to the NHS.

Even high blood pressure is considered 140/90 – 150/90 or higher if you are over 80 years old.

He also scored a six out of 15 on the internationally accepted Glasgow Coma Scale – to assess his eye, verbal and motor responses – indicating that his brain injury was severe.

A CT scan revealed that he had aSDH on the left side of his brain, causing it to swell by 0.4 cm.

Medics gave the man anti-seizure medication phenytoin, often used to treat epileptic seizures.

A week later, the 42-year-old underwent a cerebral angiography – a scan that provides images of blood vessels in and around the brain – which revealed that the aneurysm was 0.8 mm long.

He then underwent surgery to repair the ruptured aneurysm and relieve swelling and pressure on the brain.

After this treatment, the man was able to use the right side of his body again.

However, he was left with permanent damage to his oculomotor nerve in his left eye, which controls movement of the eye muscles and constriction of the pupil and helps the eye focus.