Brain aneurysm– the ground on which Salman Khan sought lesser sentence

One of the grounds on which actor Salman Khan's lawyer sought a lesser term of imprisonment was him having an aneurysm — a balloon-like bulge in an artery in the lower part of the brain, which can be fatal if it ruptures. His lawyers had submitted Salman's doctor's letter for the same.

The actor was detected with trigeminal neuralgia, a neurological disorder, and aneurysm in the brain. While he underwent surgery for trigeminal neuralgia in the US in 2011, the aneurysm still exists and he has to go to the US for further treatment.

Head of neurosurgery department in KEM hospital Dr Atul Goel said, "Aneurysm in basilar artery is a rare disorder that cannot be taken lightly. It needs close follow-up and radiological monitoring."

In Salman's case, during the initial diagnosis of the disorder, he underwent intense medicinal therapy and a surgery in 2011. However, the aneurysm — an arteriovenous malformation — was left untouched despite the initial plan to surgically remove it.

Doctors describe it as a life-threatening disease if not treated on time. "Aneurysm in brain is a condition in which a bulge develops in a weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Basilar artery aneurysm is 10% of all brain aneurysms. We see 2-3 basilar artery aneurysm cases in a year," said Dr Harshad Parekh, a neurosurgeon at Nanavati hospital.

He said while a brain aneurysm gives out no symptoms and goes unnoticed, only in rare cases does it rupture, releasing blood into the skull and causing a stroke/haemorrage. "An aneurysm can either be surgically removed or treated the endo-vascular way. While one doesn't need to worry after a successful treatment, regular check-up is a must," said Parekh.