Post-Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Vasospasm, Clinical Correlation between the Aneurysm Site and Clinical Vasospasm

Abstract

Background: Intracranial vasospasm is a common complication following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The radiographic vasospasm can reach up to 90% of aneurysmal SAH. Materials and Methods: 139 consecutive patients admitted to Cairo University Hospitals from June 2013 to September 2014 with SAH who had been enrolled in a retrospective controlled study were analyzed retrospectively for the occurrence of vasospasm. The data collected from the charts of Cairo University Hospitals were the patient’s demographics, clinical presentation, aneurysm location, treatment modality, and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores. We excluded 24 patients with nonaneurysmal SAH, 3 internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms, 7 with multiple aneurysms and 4 patients died before treatment. Results: 72 males and 29 females were included in the study, mean age 53.5 ± 11.5 years. Twelve patients had aneurysms located in the vertebral artery group, 24 had middle cerebral artery aneurysms, 11 had pericallosal aneurysms, and 54 patients had anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex aneurysms. Radiographic vasospasm occurred in 62.4% with the highest incidence (75.9%) at the ACoA complex group. Symptomatic vasospasm occurred in 48.5% with the highest incidence (63%) at the anterior communicating artery complex aneurysm location. The mean GOS at 6 months follow-up was 4.2. The worse GOS was found in the vertebral artery (VA) aneurysm group with a mean of 3.75. Conclusion: Aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery complex group have a greater risk of both radiographic and clinical vasospasm. Also, the worse 6 months follow-up GOS when an aneurysm was located in the VA group.