Misconception 1: I think brain aneurysm is a “tumor”. Brain aneurysm is not a “tumor”, but a cerebrovascular disease. Brain aneurysm occurs because of some reasons, resulting in the weakness of the cerebral artery wall, which bulges up like a balloon. The wall of the cerebral aneurysm is so thin, sometimes as thin as a layer of paper, that it can conceivably rupture easily under the impact of highly pressurized arterial blood. The part of the aneurysm that bulges out of the cerebral artery is shaped like a “tumor”, but it is not a tumor in essence, and is very different from a tumor. Therefore, although brain aneurysm is very dangerous, after treatment, it will not require radiotherapy or chemotherapy like tumor. Myth 2: If the symptoms disappear after “subarachnoid hemorrhage”, it is fine. The discovery of cerebral aneurysms is usually sudden, and most patients are discovered because of bleeding. This type of hemorrhage is unique in that it is mainly located in the interstitial space of the brain tissue and is called “subarachnoid hemorrhage”. This type of “subarachnoid hemorrhage” is not caused by trauma, but is caused by a brain aneurysm in 70-80% of cases. If a CT scan reveals more bleeding in the saddle area, almost 90% of these bleeds are caused by cerebral aneurysms. Therefore, for patients with “subarachnoid hemorrhage”, cerebral angiography must be done to rule out the possibility of cerebral aneurysm, and as early as possible. Why do doctors pay so much attention to this kind of “subarachnoid hemorrhage”? Because according to domestic and international studies, in the case of cerebral aneurysms, the first bleeding may cause death in one third of the patients at that time, and in the remaining half of the patients, if they do not undergo surgery or intervention, rebleeding will occur within six months; and once rebleeding occurs, the mortality rate can be as high as 70-80%. Many of these rebleeds occur early after the first bleed. Therefore, once subarachnoid hemorrhage is considered, it is important to check for cerebral aneurysms as soon as possible. It is important not to ignore the hemorrhage once the symptoms have disappeared. The most critical treatment for cerebral aneurysm is not to treat the bleeding that has already occurred, but to treat the aneurysm itself as early as possible to detect this “time bomb”. Myth 3: Interventional treatment must be safer than craniotomy. The main treatments for cerebral aneurysms are interventional embolization and craniotomy. Some patients are suitable for interventional treatment, some patients are suitable for surgical treatment, and in most cases, both are suitable. Due to the fear of craniotomy, some family members wishfully believe that interventional treatment must be safer than surgery because it is so expensive and “minimally invasive”. In fact, with the advancement of medical technology, in many cases, craniotomy can also achieve better results, and in some cases, it is safer than interventional treatment. For example, if an aneurysm ruptures during interventional embolization treatment, it is quite dangerous and the final result is mostly unsatisfactory; however, if an intraoperative aneurysm ruptures during surgery, the vast majority of them still have a chance to be remedied. Of course, with the improvement of people’s living standard, more and more patients are not willing to “open their brains” and choose interventional treatment without craniotomy. Therefore, patients and families with subarachnoid hemorrhage should avoid the above-mentioned misconceptions and seek early treatment at a neurosurgical center with more experience. It is also important not to be overly burdened with the thought of having such a disease. Although aneurysms are dangerous, with the continuous improvement of medical technology and the constant updating of medical equipment, the majority of patients with cerebral aneurysms can achieve better results.