Intracranial Pressure Monitoring in Poor-Grade Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Treated by Coiling.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present study was to analyze the intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) changes during coiling. We also evaluated the prevalence of rebleeding and outcomes for patients monitored before and after coiling. METHODS: Ninety-nine consecutive poor-grade patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH; World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grade IV and V) were enrolled in our prospective observational study. For 31 patients, ICP and CPP monitoring was started immediately after the diagnosis of aSAH, and the values were recorded every 15 minutes during coiling (early ICP group). For 68 patients, ICP and CPP monitoring began after coiling (late ICP group). The outcomes were evaluated at 90 days using the modified Rankin scale. RESULTS: At the beginning of coiling, the ICP was >20 mm Hg in 10 patients (35.7%). The median ICP was 18 mm Hg (range, 5-60 mm Hg). The CPP was <60 mm Hg in 6 patients (24%). The median CPP was 70 mm Hg (range, 30-101 mm Hg). Despite medical treatment and/or cerebrospinal fluid drainage, 51.6% of the patients monitored during coiling had at least one episode of intracranial hypertension (defined as ICP >20 mm Hg), and 51.6% had at least one episode of reduced CPP (defined as CPP <60 mm Hg). Early monitoring (before aneurysm repair) was not associated with rebleeding. At 90 days, the functional recovery was better in the early ICP group (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: During coiling, patients with poor-grade aSAH can experience episodes of intracranial hypertension and reduced CPP. Early and appropriate treatment of elevated ICP was not associated with rebleeding and might have improved the outcomes.

Flow-diverter stenting of post-traumatic bilateral anterior cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm: A case report.

The use of flow-diverter (FD) stents in recent years has positively changed the therapeutic approach to some vascular diseases, especially of certain types of aneurysms. This paper describes the case of a young patient after a major head trauma causing multiple skull fractures. The trauma occasioned two pseudoaneurysms from the A1 segment of the right anterior cerebral artery and from the A2 segment of the left anterior cerebral artery. Both lesions were treated with two Pipeline devices (ev3, Irvine, CA, USA) in two different sessions. The CT study and angiographic investigations performed in the following month showed a complete resolution of the post-traumatic pseudoaneurysmal lesions. Although the use of FD stents is described in the literature, particularly in the treatment of selected aneurysms, this paper shows good technical results in the use of these stents in cases of intracranial post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms with clinical improvement.