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(Stroke. 1970;1:432.)
© 1970 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Hypoxyrrhachia in Association with Intracranial Hemorrhage

BERNARD J. SUSSMAN M.D.¹ RAYMOND LLOYD M.D.²

¹ Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine and Freedmen's Hospital, Washington, D. C., 20001
² Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine and Freedmen's Hospital, Washington, D. C., 20001

Oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid and arterial blood were determined in 15 patients. The results confirmed those reported in the literature with the exception of four patients with intracranial hemorrhage. Under this circumstance, oxygen tensions in the spinal fluid were considerably lower than those obtained in arterial blood. This hypoxyrrhachia, associated with cerebral hemorrhage, is probably related to oxygen uptake by cellular blood elements as demonstrated by in vitro studies. Cerebral arterial vasoconstriction may also play a role. Cerebrospinal fluid acidosis was also demonstrated. It is possible that these changes may significantly affect the operability of patients with intracranial hemorrhage.

Key Words: subarachnoid hemorrhage • cerebrosspinal fluid oxygen tension • cellular uptake • vasoconstriction