(Stroke. 1999;30:2617.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions |
From the Departments of Neurology (C.K., H.C.H.) and Neuroradiology (C.G., U.G., H.Z.), University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Correspondence to Christoph Groden, MD, Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Martinstr 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. E-mail groden{at}uke.uni-hamburg.de
| Abstract |
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MethodsForty poor-grade patients admitted between 1993 and July 1998 were treated by endovascular approach within 23 days after aneurysm rupture. Eighteen had aneurysms in the AC, 22 in the PC. Mean treatment delay was 4 days after rupture and median, 2 days. One patient showed multiple aneurysms. In 36 cases, aneurysms were occluded by Guglielmi detachable coils; in 4 cases, by parent vessel balloon occlusion.
ResultsThe incidence of delayed ischemic neurological dysfunction or cerebral infarct due to vasospasm did not differ significantly between the AC and PC groups. Two procedure-related complications with clinical effect were observed in each group. At 6 months follow-up, the result was good in 5 patients and poor in 13 in the AC group and good in 11 patients and poor in 11 in the PC group.
ConclusionsGiven comparable incidence of vasospasm in poor-grade
patients, a tendency toward better treatment outcome was found in
patients with aneurysms in the posterior circulation
(
2=2.04; P=0.15) than in the anterior
circulation. Endovascular therapy for poor-grade patients is
recommended, as are further studies to determine treatment differences.
Key Words: aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage endovascular therapy vasospasm outcome
| Introduction |
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| Subjects and Methods |
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A femoral treatment approach was used, and after fluoroscopic
establishment of an optimal projection for GDC treatment,
superselective catheterization of the aneurysm
was performed by use of microcatheters. For dissecting or fusiform
aneurysms, a parent vessel occlusion was chosen; 2 detachable
balloons were used to ensure success. Treatments were performed with
the patient under general anesthesia and 5 000 U of
heparin IV. In the acute phase, the Glasgow Coma Scale was recorded
every hour. CT scans were performed in each case of clinical
neurological deterioration and at least every 48 hours within the first
7 days after SAH onset. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound
(TCD) was performed at least every 24 to 48 hours to detect elevated
flow velocities. Mean flow velocities of >130 cm/s in major vessels of
the anterior cerebral circulation and intracranial extracranial
velocity ratio >3 were defined as vasospasm. All such patients
received intravenous nimodipine and hypervolemic,
hypertensive, hemodilution (3H) therapy that consisted of an aggressive
volume expansion by means of administration of high-volume crystalloid
to maintain central venous pressure between 8 and 10 mm Hg and
the fluid balance in a positive range between 500 and 1000 mL/d. This,
of course, was individualized in relation to
hemodynamic parameters. Hematocrit was
maintained at approximately 35% (between 30% and 40%) and
systolic blood pressure between 160 and 180 mm Hg,
sometimes by use of catecholamines. All patients were
monitored by use of serial chest x-ray films to screen for
pulmonary edema. 3H therapy was begun immediately after
complete endovascular aneurysm occlusion and continued until
normalization of mean blood flow velocities. Symptomatic
vasospasm was defined as cerebral infarction or delayed
ischemic neurological dysfunction (DIND). The outcome according
to the Glasgow Outcome Scale8 was evaluated after 6
months. Follow-up angiograms were performed in 7 of the GDC treated
cases after 1 year (see Table 1
).
| Results |
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PC Aneurysm
Fortunately for the present evaluation, many "difficult"
cases were transferred to our treatment center from other clinics, so
that the disproportionately large number of 22 patients with PCs in the
PC system could be treated. All 22 patients with PC aneurysms
were treated by endovascular approach: 19 by GDC and 3 by balloon
occlusion technique. Thirteen were treated within the first 3 days
after onset of SAH, with a mean interval of 5 days (range, 0 to 23
days). One GDC patient (patient P-22) had to be retreated as a result
of the coil compacting after 1 month. During the GDC treatment, 1
aneurysm rupture (patient P-1) was observed and 1 coil broke
(patient P-6), without clinical effect. In 1 patient (patient P-13)
with a clot, an infarct of the posterior cerebral artery occurred under
GDC treatment. One balloon occlusion of a vertebral artery was
complicated by a posterior inferior cerebellar
arterial infarct (patient P-3). Other than in these
4 of 22 (18%) patients, no further procedure-related complications or
deficits were observed within the follow-up period. In 2 patients
(patients P-8 and P-14; 9%) aneurysms were intentionally only
partially occluded to avoid collateral clotting damage. A giant
aneurysm in another patient (patient A-13) was intentionally
only partially closed in the initial treatment and completely occluded
in a second treatment session after 3 months. Elevated mean blood flow
velocities were diagnosed in 12 (55%) cases by TCD and in 7 (32%)
cases angiographically. Six (27%) patients developed a DIND and 8
(36%) a cerebral infarct due to vasospasm (Table 2
). Cerebral
infarct or DIND (symptomatic vasospasm) was seen in 8
(36%) patients. At 6 months, the outcome was good in 11 patients and
poor in 11 in the PC group (Table 3
).
Follow-Up
Sixteen patients (1 with balloon occlusion) died within 30 days
after treatment (see cause of death in Table 1
). Routine control
angiographic examinations after GDC at 1 year after treatment could not
always be obtained because of death (n=15), poor condition (n=6),
noncompliance (n=5), or recent treatment (n=2) of the patient, so that
only 8 of 36 patients were examined between 8 and 22 months (mean, 16
months) after treatment. In these patients, treatment results remained
stable. Clinical follow-up examinations after balloon technique were
performed after 6 months (see Table 1
).
| Discussion |
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Thus, it is not surprising that many published clinical series exclude poor-grade patients from analysis.18 21 22 23 In their prospective series, Disney et al12 failed to clearly demonstrate an association between severe diffuse angiographic vasospasm and worse outcome, because many patients died from other causes or did not survive long enough to manifest the deterioration. Fisher et al15 showed a direct correlation between the amount of cisternal blood and severity of vasospasm. Others reported that the early surgical evacuation of cisternal blood was not able to displace vasospasm from its major role.24 25 26
Endovascular techniques offer an alternative to surgery as a treatment tool for ruptured aneurysms at the acute SAH stage. Endovascular techniques prevent rebleeding and allow aggressive management of symptomatic vasospasm by 3H therapy27 and angioplasty.28 Murayama et al18 were able to show that the 23% incidence of symptomatic vasospasm in their endovascular series of H&H grade I through III patients hardly differs from 2 surgical series under similar clinical conditions and a symptomatic vasospasm incidence of 22%29 or 25%.27 Our 43% incidence of DIND or cerebral infarct (symptomatic vasospasm) for endovascular treatment of poor-grade patients stresses its major effect on treatment outcome.
On the basis of results of Kassell et al24 concerning
early or late therapy for poor-grade patients, 2
studies1 30 showed identical results of 21% favorable,
37% poor outcome, and 42% death for all poor-grade patients with
selective surgical aggressive management. After an aggressive surgical
patient management, Le Roux et al31 demonstrated better
results of 38.5% favorable, 18% poor, and 43.5% death. Disney et
al12 differentiated between AC and PC in their study of
achieved surgical results but included patients with H&H grade III,
which makes a comparison with the present report difficult. In
contrast with the present report, their results showed a tendency
toward poorer outcome in the hind circulation. Hillman et
al32 achieved a 35% favorable outcome for posterior fossa
aneurysms by means of delayed and early surgery. Peerless et
al33 achieved a 27% favorable outcome with early surgery.
Results of endovascular trials include only few
patients.34 35 Our retrospective series with a 40% total
favorable outcome is comparable with the achieved surgical
results31 and somewhat better than previous reports on the
PC (Table 3
).
The 18% incidence of procedure-related complications (7 patients) in
our series is comparable with the 21% incidence reported in 75
patients in all H&H stages on admission with vertebrobasilar
aneurysms.36 Fatal outcome was seen in 4 patients
(10%) (Table 1
) who suffered complications during endovascular
therapy compared with 9% from the series with vertebrobasilar
aneurysms,36 which indicates that poor-grade
patients are not at higher risk for developing severe procedure-related
complications.
In conclusion, the endovascular treatment of poor-grade patients after
aneurysmal SAH is effective and offers results similar to those
from surgical series. In these patients, statistically significant
differences between cases of aneurysms in the PC and AC systems
could not be established (
2=2.04;
P=0.15); thus, further studies under inclusion of larger
populations could prove useful. We feel encouraged to recommend
endovascular therapy for these patients.
| Acknowledgments |
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Received January 7, 1999; revision received July 6, 1999; accepted September 7, 1999.
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