• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.527-530
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• 2014

Spinal subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH) can extend into the intracranial subarachnoid space, but, severe cerebral vasospasm is rare complication of the extension of intracranial SAH from a spinal subarachnoid hematoma. A 67-year-old woman started anticoagulant therapy for unstable angina. The next day, she developed severe back pain and paraplegia. MRI showed intradural and extramedullar low signal intensity at the T2-3, consistent with intradural hematoma. High signal intensity was also noted in the spinal cord from C5 to T4. We removed subarachnoid hematoma compressing the spinal cord. The following day, the patient complained of severe headache. Brain CT revealed SAH around both parietal lobes. Three days later, her consciousness decreased and left hemiplegia also developed. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple cerebral infarctions, mainly in the right posterior cerebral artery territory, left parietal lobe and right watershed area. Conventional cerebral angiography confirmed diffuse severe vasospasm of the cerebral arteries. After intensive care for a month, the patient was transferred to the rehabilitation department. After 6 months, neurologic deterioration improved partially. We speculate that surgeons should anticipate possible delayed neurological complications due to cerebral vasospasm if intracranial SAH is detected after spinal subarachnoid hematoma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2000

Objectives : Despite advance in the surgical treatment of the intracranial aneurysm, we have to be surgical complication. The aim of this report is to evaluate the complication and its management in intracranial aneurysm operation. Methods : We reviewed our exprience with interesting cases of surgical complication of intracranial aneurysm : 1) rebleeding, 2) intra-operative premature rupture, 3) missed aneurysm in angiography, 4) vasospasm. Results : The risk of rebleeding was not related to the patients' initial comdition, but all other intracranial complications occurred significantly more often in patients graded poor compared with patients in good clinical condition. Rebleeding before early surgery remains as major cause of unfavorable outcome. The causes of intraoperative premature ruptures were as follows : 1) dural opening and arachnoid opening(8.3%), 2) hematoma removal(12.5%), 3) brain retraction(16.7%) 4) aneurysm dissection(62.5%). The double suction technique and primary hemostasis using a small piece of cotton or temporary clip resulted in good outcome even in cases with premature rupture. The incidence of missed aneurysm in angiography occurred in 10%. The causes were as thrombosed aneurysm, vasospasm on feeder artery. The most common missed aneurysm is also the most common aneurysm(anterior communicating artery aneurysm). The repeated angiography were documented in missed aneurysm. Balloon angioplasty is superior topapaverine for treatment of proximal vessel vasospasm by viture of a more sustained effect on the vessel. Papaverine can be useful as an adjunct to ballon angioplasty and also for the treatment of distal vessels that are not accessible for ballon angioplasty. Conclusion : The minimization of the complications and active treatment can reduced the mortality and morbidity of ruptured aneurysm patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.347-354
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• 2006

Objective : We evaluate the role of multislice computerized tomographic angiography[MCTA] in the diagnosis of intracranial vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage[SAH] in patients suspected of having vasospasm on clinical ground. Methods : Between October 2003 and June 2005, patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation clipped within 3 days of the onset were included. We performed follow-up MCTAs in patients who were suspected to have vasospasm on transcranial doppler sonography[TCD] findings and clinical grounds. Based on the clinical presentation of symptomatic vasospasm, we investigated the correlation between clinical, TCD, and MCTA signs of vasospasm and evaluated the role of MCTA in vasospasm. Results : One hundred one patients met the inclusion criteria and symptomatic vasospasm developed in 25 patients [24.8%]. We performed follow-up MCTAs in 28 patients. MCTA revealed spasm in the vessels of 26 patients. The sensitivity of MCTA was 100%. Among the 26 patients with MCTA evidence of vasospasm, 3 patients had TCD signs of vasospasm after symptomatic vasospasm presentation. Another 3 patients with symptomatic vasospasm had no TCD signs of vasospasm in daily serial recordings. Six other patients without symptomatic vasospasm showed MCTA evidence of vasospasm [false positive result] but these patients had also positive TCD signs of vasospasm. Volume rendering[VR] images tended to show significantly more exaggerated vasospasm than maximum intensity projection[MIP] images. The mean cerebral blood flow velocity of both proximal segment of the middle cerebral artery [M1] was significantly correlated with each reduced M1 diameter on MCTA [P<005]. Conclusion : MCTA could be a useful tool for evaluation and planning management of critically ill patients suspected of having vasospasm; however, more randomized controlled trials are necessary to assess these points definitively.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2006

The cerebral vasospasm after clipping surgery of unruptured aneurysm is uncommon. A 44-year-old man with unruptured left middle cerebral artery[MCA] aneurysm had clipping surgery. From the third postoperative day, he presented with drowsy mentality, dysphasia and right hemiparesis. Computed tomographic scans showed low density area in frontotemporal lobe and midline shift. Transfemoral cerebral angiography revealed severe vasospasm in supraclinoid internal carotid artery, anterior cerebral artery, and MCA on the operative side. We performed left frontotemporoparietal craniectomy and hypertensive-hypervolemic therapy. He recovered without neurological deficits but for dysphasia. Neurosurgeon should be alert to the possibility of vasospasm after clipping surgery even in case of unruptured cerebral aneurysm.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.665-670
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• 2021

Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (CVS) and delayed ischemic neurologic deficit (DIND) after unruptured aneurysm surgery are extremely rare. Its onset timing is variable, and its mechanisms are unclear. We report two cases of CVS with DIND after unruptured aneurysm surgery and review the literature regarding potential mechanisms. The first case is a 51-year-old woman with non-hemorrhagic vasospasm after unruptured left anterior communicating artery aneurysm surgery. She presented with delayed vasospasm on postoperative day 14. The second case is a 45-year-old woman who suffered from oculomotor nerve palsy caused by an unruptured posterior communicatig artery (PCoA) aneurysm. DIND with non-hemorrhagic vasospasm developed on postoperative day 12. To our knowledge, this is the first report of symptomatic CVS with oculomotor nerve palsy following unruptured PCoA aneurysm surgery. CVS with DIND after unruptured aneurysm surgery is very rare and can be triggered by multiple mechanisms, such as hemorrhage, mechanical stress to the arterial wall, or the trigemino-cerebrovascular system. For unruptured aneurysm surgery, although it is rare, careful observation and treatments can be needed for postoperative CVS with DIND.

• Journal of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.434-439
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• 2023

Pseudoaneurysms are rare but devastating complications of penetrating head traumas. They require rapid surgical or endovascular intervention due to their high risk of rupture; however, complex presentations may limit treatment options. Our objective is to report a case of severe vasospasm, flow diversion, and in-stent stenosis complicating the treatment of a middle cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm following a gunshot wound. A 33-year-old woman presented with multiple calvarial and bullet fragments within the right frontotemporal lobes and a large right frontotemporal intraparenchymal hemorrhage with significant cerebral edema. She underwent an emergent right hemicraniectomy for decompression, removal of bullet fragments, and evacuation of hemorrhage. Once stable enough for diagnostic cerebral angiography, she was found to have an M1 pseudoaneurysm with severe vasospasm that precluded endovascular treatment until the vasospasm resolved. The pseudoaneurysm was treated with flow diversion and in-stent stenosis was found at 4-month follow-up angiography that resolved by 8 months post-embolization. We report the successful flow diversion of an middle cerebral artery (MCA) pseudoaneurysm complicated by severe vasospasm and later in-stent stenosis. The presence of asymptomatic stenosis is believed to be reversible intimal hyperplasia and a normal aspect of endothelial healing. We suggest careful observation and dual-antiplatelet therapy as a justified approach.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.325-333
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• 2001

Objective : To clarify the benefits and therapeutic effects of intra-arterial papaverine infusion on the symptomatic cerebral vasospasm, we analyzed the results of treatment in 32 patients retrospectively. Methods : A total of 510 patients underwent surgical clipping or endovascular intra-aneurysmal treatment for ruptured intracranial aneurysm between May, 1996 and June, 1999. The delayed ischemic deficit(DID) was developed in 90 of 510 patients. Of these 90 patients, 32 developed symptomatic vasospasm inspite of using modest "3H therapy". The brain CT scan was taken before the intra-arterial infusion of papaverine. The 32 patients underwent 42 intra-arterial papaverine infusion. The symptomatic vasospasm was divided into three groups : deterioration of mental status(Group 1), appearance of a focal neurologic deficit(Group 2), or both(Group 3). We measured Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), arterial diameters, and cerebral circulation time(CCT) at the time of pre- and postangioplasty. Results : The number of patients in group 1, 2 and 3 were 26, 7, 9 respectively. Eighteen cases showed improvement of GCS more than 2 scores, 16 more than 1, and 8 showed no change of GCS. Average cerebral circulation time(CCT) was decreased ranging from 0.0%-67.5%, and arterial diameters were increased in 21 cases ranging from 1 to 4 folds. Conclusion : Intra-arterial papaverine infusion seemed to have therapeutic effects on symptomatic vasospasm by improving the neurological signs and increasing the arterial diameter. We suggest that intra-arterial papaverine infusion would be an useful adjunctive therapeutic modality in symptomatic vasospasm.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2005

Objective : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of the ICAM-l levels in serum and CSF with cerebral vasospasm in early aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] patients. Methods : A prospective analysis was performed in thirty consecutive patients who underwent early surgery for intracranial aneurysmal SAH. The serum and CSF were obtained daily through the indwelling arterial lines and intraoperative ventriculostomy, or cisternal drain for 4 consecutive days after surgery. The ICAM-1 levels in serum and CSF samples were measured via quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results : The mean concentration of serum in aneurysmal SAH patients was 207.89ng/ml compared with 132.25ng/ml in controls. The mean concentration of CSF in aneurysmal SAH patients was 76.39ng/ml compared with 3.96ng/ml in controls. There were no significant differences between serum and CSF ICAM-1 level with regards to clinical characteristics in patients with aneurysmal SAH [P>0.05]. However, CSF ICAM-1 levels increased significantly in patients with vasospasm compared with those without vasospasm [P<0.05]. Conclusion : The major result of this study shows that ICAM-1 is increased in CSF after early aneurysmal SAH and that this increase in ICAM-1 has correlation with cerebral vasospasm. Further study is needed to determine whether ICAM-1 levels may be indicator in the pathogenesis of important events leading to cerebral vasospasm.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.133-142
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• 2009

The advent of endovascular therapy for intracranial aneurysms and the rapid advances in that field have supplanted microsurgical treatment for many intracranial aneurysms. Applying current outcome data and other parameters, nuances of selecting the modality of treatment for intracranial aneurysms are reviewed. Patient factors, such a age, co-morbidities, vasospasm and other medical conditions, are addressed. A custom-tailored multimodality treatment paradigm for the management of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms will maximize the favorable results seen in this difficult patient population.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.207-216
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• 2021

Objective : Rapid dissolution of blood clots reduces vasospasm and hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and locally administered fibrinolytic drugs (LAFDs) could facilitate the dissolution. However, the efficacy of LAFDs remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of LAFDs for vasospasm and hydrocephalus and in clinical outcomes. Methods : From PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane database, data were extracted by two authors. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effect model. Inclusion criteria were patients who had LAFDs with urokinase-type or recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator after SAH in comparison with medically untreated patients with fibrinolytic drugs. We only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in this analysis. The outcomes of interest were vasospasm, hydrocephalus, mortality, and 90-day unfavorable functional outcome. Results : Data from eight RCTs with 550 patients were included. Pooled-analysis revealed that the LAFDs were significantly associated with lower rates of vasospasm (LAFDs group vs. control group, 26.5% vs. 39.2%; odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.73); hydrocephalus (LAFDs group vs. control group, 26.0% vs. 31.6%; OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.91); and mortality (LAFDs group vs. control group, 10.5% vs. 15.7%; OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.34-0.99). The proportion of 90-day unfavorable outcomes was lower in the LAFDs group (LAFDs group vs. control group, 32.7% vs. 43.5%; OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37-0.80). Conclusion : This meta-analysis with eight RCTs indicated that LAFDs were significantly associated with lower rates of vasospasm and hydrocephalus after SAH. Thus, LAFDs could consequently reduce mortality and improve clinical outcome after SAH.