Continual transcranial Doppler in the monitoring of hemodynamic change following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

AIMS: To analyze and compare the value of different treatment methods for acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH)-related vasospasm. Cerebral hemodynamic variables' changes were evaluated by transcranial Doppler (TCD) in aSAH patients within 14 days after onset.

METHODS: Thirty aSAH patients were enrolled in the study within 72 h after onset. Baseline CT and TCD were used for assessment. Patients were divided into three groups according to SAH severity and patients' discretion: nonsurgical group, endovascular coiling, and neurosurgical clipping. TCD hemodynamic parameters were measured and Lindegaard index was calculated daily from onset to 14th day after SAH. The group mean cerebral blood velocity (MBFV) and Lindegaard index were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (reANOVA). Least Significant Difference (LSD) test was used for post hoc comparison. All 30 patients were followed for 90 days after onset for outcome assessment.

RESULTS: The values of MBFV and Lindegaard index of anterior cerebral artery (ACA)/middle cerebral artery (MCA) from high to low is nonsurgical group, clipping and coiling (ACA: P= 0.0001/P= 0.006; MCA: P= 0.243/P= 0.317).

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both neurosurgical clipping and endovascular coiling management may relieve the severity of cerebral vasospasm in acute aSAH.