Brain CT Angiography Findings in Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Abstract

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a form of stroke and comprises 1% to 7% of all strokes. The main causes of SAH include rupture of aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation. Digital subtraction angiography has been indicated to diagnose the causes, but; computed tomography (CT) angiography is an easy and noninvasive tool for detecting etiology of SAH. In this paper we study brain CT angiography findings in patients with SAH. Methods: The present study was conducted in the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from December 2009 to December 2010. The participants in this study included 80 patients with definitive or suspicious SAH. CT angiography was performed in all patients. Images were evaluated for the presence or absence of an arterial aneurysm or an arteriovenous malformation. Parameters were age and sex of patients, location, size and number of aneurysms, and location of arteriovenous malformation. Results: In this cross-sectional study, 80 patients with SAH were evaluated by CT angiography. The age distribution of participants was 52.98±15.6 (mean±SD, range: 16 to 90). Out of the 80 patients, 75 had aneurysmal SAH. No venous finding was detected in the 5 remaining patients. No arteriovenous malformation was detected in any patient. A total of 92 aneurysms were detected in 75 patients. Most of aneurysms were located in anterior communicating artery, middle cerebral artery, and internal carotid artery. The average aneurysm diameter was 6.7 mm with the smallest one being 2 mm and the largest 21 mm. Conclusions: Seventy-five of the 80 patients (93.75%) had aneurysm. SAH is common in female with a male:female ratio of 1.00:1.60. Most patients are in fifth or sixth decades of their lives. Anterior circulation is a common location of arterial aneurysm and anterior communicating artery is the most commonly involved artery.