Skurcz tętnic mózgowych u chorych z krwotokiem śródmózgowym : doniesienie wstępne

Background: Spasm of the intracranial arteries is a frequent and dangerous complication after subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, only a few cases of cerebral vasospasm in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have been reported. Therefore, we decided to analyze the results of angiographic examinations in ICH patients retrospectively and evaluate the occurrence of vasospasm. Material/Methods: 46 patients with ICH, aged 20-72 (15 women and 31 men), routinely referred for cerebral angiography, were included in this study. Spasm was graded as mild (up to 25% of vessel narrowing), moderate (26-50% of vessel narrowing) and severe (more than 50% of vessel narrowing). Results: We observed middle cerebral artery (MCA) spasm on the side of ICH in 11 patients. In 3 cases the spasm occurred also in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). We found evidence of MCA narrowing on the side opposite to ICH in only 1 patient. MCA spasm was graded as severe, moderate and mild in 2, 5 and 5 patients respectively. ACA spasm was found to be mild. Conclusions: Initial results indicate that the cerebral vasospasm may be a frequent complication in ICH patients. Further studies should be carried out to determine the occurrence of vasospasm in a larger group of such patients in various clinical states as well as to develop noninvasive ways of diagnosing the spasm.