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Endovascular Management of Posthemorrhagic Cerebral Vasospasm: Indications, Technical Nuances, and Results

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Cerebral Vasospasm: Neurovascular Events After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Part of the book series: Acta Neurochirurgica Supplement ((NEUROCHIRURGICA,volume 115))

Abstract

Posthemorrhagic cerebral vasospasm (PHCV) is a common problem and a significant cause of mortality and permanent disability following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. While medical therapy remains the mainstay of prevention against PHCV and the first-line treatment for symptomatic patients, endovascular options should not be delayed in medically refractory cases. Although both transluminal balloon angioplasty (TBA) and intra-arterial vasodilator therapy (IAVT) can be effective in relieving proximal symptomatic PHCV, only IAVT is a viable treatment option for distal vasospasm. The main advantage of TBA is its long-lasting therapeutic effect and the very low rate of retreatment. However, its use has been associated with a significant risk of serious complications, particularly vessel rupture and reperfusion hemorrhage. Conversely, IAVT is generally considered an effective and low-risk procedure, despite the transient nature of its therapeutic effects and the risk of intracranial hypertension associated with its use. Moreover, newer vasodilator agents appear to have a longer duration of action and a much better safety profile than papaverine, which is rarely used in current clinical practice. Although endovascular treatment of PHCV has been reported to be effective in clinical series, whether it ultimately improves patient outcomes has yet to be demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial.

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Conflicts of Interest Statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati and Mayfield Clinic, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Ralph Rahme M.D., Lincoln Jimenez M.D., Gail J. Pyne-Geithman D.Phil., Joseph Serrone M.D., Andrew J. Ringer M.D. & Mario Zuccarello M.D.

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, 260 Stetson Street, Suite 2200, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA

    Todd A. Abruzzo M.D.

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  1. Ralph Rahme M.D.
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  2. Lincoln Jimenez M.D.
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  3. Gail J. Pyne-Geithman D.Phil.
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Correspondence to Todd A. Abruzzo M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, Stetson, Suite 2200 260, Cincinnati, 45267-0515, Ohio, USA

    Mario Zuccarello

  2. College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Albert Sabin Way 231MSB room 1, Cincinnati, 46267-0536, Ohio, USA

    Joseph F. Clark

  3. College of Medicine, Dept. of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, Albert Sabin Way 231ML0517, Cincinnati, 45267-0517, Ohio, USA

    Gail Pyne-Geithman

  4. College of Medicine, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, Stetson St. Suite 260ML0515, Cincinnati, 45219, Ohio, USA

    Norberto Andaluz

  5. College of Medicine, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, Stetson, Suite 2200 260, Cincinnati, 45219, Ohio, USA

    Jed A. Hartings

  6. , Dept. of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Albert Sabin Way 231ML0769, Cincinnati, 45267-0769, Ohio, USA

    Opeolu M. Adeoye

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Rahme, R. et al. (2013). Endovascular Management of Posthemorrhagic Cerebral Vasospasm: Indications, Technical Nuances, and Results. In: Zuccarello, M., Clark, J., Pyne-Geithman, G., Andaluz, N., Hartings, J., Adeoye, O. (eds) Cerebral Vasospasm: Neurovascular Events After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplement, vol 115. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1192-5_23

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