Combination therapy of fasudil hydrochloride and ozagrel sodium for cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. (1/2145)

Fasudil hydrochloride is a new type of intracellular calcium antagonist, different from the calcium entry blockers that are commonly employed for clinical use. Since September 1995, the combination of fasudil hydrochloride and ozagrel sodium, an inhibitor of thromboxane A2 synthesis, has been used to treat 60 patients at risk of cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The effectiveness of this combination therapy was investigated by comparison with the outcome of 57 patients previously treated with only ozagrel sodium. The combination therapy was significantly more effective (p < 0.01) in reducing the incidence of low density areas on computed tomography scans, and reduced, but not significantly, the occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm. The combination therapy of fasudil hydrochloride and ozagrel sodium has superior effectiveness over only ozagrel sodium in treating patients at risk of vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.  (+info)

Significance of acute cerebral swelling in patients with sylvian hematoma due to ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm, and its management. (2/2145)

A retrospective study of 75 patients treated surgically for ruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm within 48 hours evaluated clinical grade at admission, secondary development and management of cerebral swelling associated with space-occupying hematoma, cerebral infarction caused by vasospasm, development of hydrocephalus, and clinical outcome. Clinical grade at admission was significantly better in patients without than in those with hematoma (p < 0.01). Twenty-seven patients with sylvian hematoma caused by ruptured MCA aneurysm often developed ipsilateral cerebral swelling in the early period after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Seventeen of these patients developed serious cerebral swelling and received barbiturate therapy. Nine of these 17 patients had good outcome, but six patients died of cerebral swelling. The incidence of hydrocephalus was significantly higher in patients with than in those without hematoma (p < 0.01). The incidence of infarction was more pronounced in patients with sylvian hematoma. Clinical outcome was significantly better in patients without than in those with sylvian hematoma (p < 0.01). Development of cerebral swelling in patients with sylvian hematoma due to ruptured MCA aneurysm has a significant effect on outcome, and improvements in management are required.  (+info)

Diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging in vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. (3/2145)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Better measures of cerebral tissue perfusion and earlier detection of ischemic injury are needed to guide therapy in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients with vasospasm. We sought to identify tissue ischemia and early ischemic injury with combined diffusion-weighted (DW) and hemodynamically weighted (HW) MRI in patients with vasospasm after SAH. METHODS: Combined DW and HW imaging was used to study 6 patients with clinical and angiographic vasospasm, 1 patient without clinical signs of vasospasm but with severe angiographic vasospasm, and 1 patient without angiographic spasm. Analysis of the passage of an intravenous contrast bolus through brain was used to construct multislice maps of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and tissue mean transit time (tMTT). We hypothesize that large HW imaging (HWI) abnormalities would be present in treated patients at the time they develop neurological deficit due to vasospasm without matching DW imaging (DWI) abnormalities. RESULTS: Small, sometimes multiple, ischemic lesions on DWI were seen encircled by a large area of decreased rCBF and increased tMTT in all patients with symptomatic vasospasm. Decreases in rCBV were not prominent. MRI hemodynamic abnormalities occurred in regions supplied by vessels with angiographic vasospasm or in their watershed territories. All patients with neurological deficit showed an area of abnormal tMTT much larger than the area of DWI abnormality. MRI images were normal in the asymptomatic patient with angiographic vasospasm and the patient with normal angiogram and no clinical signs of vasospasm. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that DW/HW MRI in symptomatic vasospasm can detect widespread changes in tissue hemodynamics that encircle early foci of ischemic injury. With additional study, the technique could become a useful tool in the clinical management of patients with SAH.  (+info)

Primary non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. A municipal emergency hospital viewpoint. (4/2145)

The devastating natural history of 138 consecutive admissions for non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage to a major emergency care municipal hospital is reviewed. Sixty-four percent of the patients had demonstrable intracranial hematomas while 36% had mainly subarachnoid hemorrhage. Hypertension was a related condition in 43% of the parenchymal hematoma patients, while proved aneurysms accounted for 74% of the subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. There was only a 14% survivorship for patients requiring emergent surgery. All operated hematoma patients survived delayed surgery with improved level of responsiveness. The overall mortality was 74% for intracranial hematoma patients and 58% for aneurysm-caused subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.  (+info)

Prevention of persistent cerebral smooth muscle contraction in response to whole blood. (5/2145)

Using an in vitro system designed to measure arterial constriction, we have demonstrated the importance of platelet function in maintaining cerebral smooth muscle contraction after whole blood injection. We tested two agents, acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and phthalazinol, both known to interfere with platelet function. In control tests normal rabbit and monkey blood produced a reliable and persistent arterial constriction. In experimental tests blood drawn from animals premedicated with ASA and phthalazinol failed to produce a persistent contraction. These results support the hypothesis that chemicals released during platelet aggregation may be important in persistent vasospasm.  (+info)

Cerebral arterial lesions resulting from inflammatory emboli. (6/2145)

In order to study the effects of septic embolism on the brain, silicone rubber emboli of various types were injected into the carotid arteries of 35 dogs. Pathologic and angiographic studies were performed to assess the resultant arterial and parenchymal lesions. Pure silicone rubber emboli (14 dogs) produced occasional intra-arterial thrombosis but no arteritis. Sterile and bacterially contaminated emboli containing a lead-chromate pigment (similar to those used in previous studies of septic embolism) (11 dogs) and pure silicone rubber emboli with transversely oriented canals (10 dogs), after brief placement in a bacterial suspension, were associated with intense inflammatory arteritis. This was accompanied by focal meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, thrombosis, and cerebritis of the underlying cortex. The findings resembled those found in mycotic aneurysm. Aneurysmal dilatation was observed in one postmortem angiogram. In previous models of mycotic aneurysm, the inflammation attributed to bacterial contamination was probably due to the lead-chromate pigment used.  (+info)

Surgical treatment of internal carotid artery anterior wall aneurysm with extravasation during angiography--case report. (7/2145)

A 54-year-old female presented subarachnoid hemorrhage from an aneurysm arising from the anterior (dorsal) wall of the internal carotid artery (ICA). During four-vessel angiography, an extravasated saccular pooling of contrast medium emerged in the suprasellar area unrelated to any arterial branch. The saccular pooling was visualized in the arterial phase and cleared in the venophase during every contrast medium injection. We suspected that the extravasated pooling was surrounded by hard clot but communicated with the artery. Direct surgery was performed but major premature bleeding occurred during the microsurgical procedure. After temporary clipping, an opening of the anterior (dorsal) wall of the ICA was found without apparent aneurysm wall. The vessel wall was sutured with nylon thread. The total occlusion time of the ICA was about 50 minutes. Follow-up angiography demonstrated good patency of the ICA. About 2 years after the operation, the patient was able to walk with a stick and to communicate freely through speech, although left hemiparesis and left homonymous hemianopsia persisted. The outcome suggests our treatment strategy was not optimal, but suture of the ICA wall is one of the therapeutic choices when premature rupture occurs in the operation.  (+info)

Venous subarachnoid hemorrhage after inferior petrosal sinus sampling for adrenocorticotropic hormone. (8/2145)

Neurologic complications associated with inferior petrosal sinus sampling for adrenocorticotropic hormone in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome are rare. Previously reported complications include brain stem infarction and pontine hemorrhage. We report a case of venous subarachnoid hemorrhage with subsequent acute obstructive hydrocephalus occurring during inferior petrosal sinus sampling for Cushing syndrome.  (+info)