Subarachnoid hemorrhage and the female sex: analysis of risk factors, aneurysm characteristics, and outcomes.

ABSTRACT

OBJECT The pathophysiology of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is unclear. Sex may play a role in the outcome of patients with aSAH. METHODS: The authors retrospectively identified 617 patients with aSAH (April 2005 to February 2010) and analyzed sex differences in risk factors (age, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, and family history), admission-related factors (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade and admission delay), aneurysm characteristics (site, side, location, and multiplicity), and outcomes (treatment modalities [coiling/clipping/both/conservative], complications [vasospasm and hydrocephalus], length of stay, and modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months). RESULTS: The female patients with aSAH were older than the male patients (mean age 56.6 vs 51.9 years, respectively, p < 0.001), and more women than men were ≥ 55 years old (56.2% vs 40.4%, respectively, p < 0.001). Women exhibited higher rates of bilateral (6.8% vs 2.6%, respectively, p < 0.05), multiple (11.5% vs 5.2%, respectively, p < 0.05), and internal carotid artery (ICA) (36.9% vs 17.5%, respectively, p < 0.001) aneurysms and a lower rate of anterior cerebral artery aneurysms (26.3% vs 44.8%, respectively, p < 0.001) than the men, but no side differences were noted. There were no sex differences in risk factors, admission-related factors, or outcome measures. For both sexes, outcomes varied according to aneurysm location, with odds ratios for a poor outcome of 1.62 (95% CI 0.91-2.86, p = 0.1) for middle cerebral artery, 2.41 (95% CI 1.29-4.51, p = 0.01) for ICA, and 2.41 (95% CI 1.29-4.51, p = 0.006) for posterior circulation aneurysms compared with those for anterior cerebral artery aneurysms. The odds ratio for poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 4-6) in women compared with men after adjusting for significant prognostic factors was 0.71 (95% CI 0.45-1.11, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall outcomes after aSAH between women and men are similar.