The history of cerebral vasospasm.
In summary, over a period of approximately four decades, an important new pathologic process was identified. There is no longer any doubt that the deposition of the subarachnoid clot in the basal cisterns can, over the course of a few days, lead to a progressive, severe vasoconstriction. This, in turn, can reduce cerebral blood flow to the distal brain, which, depending on a multitude of factors, can result in cerebral infarction. It is highly likely that the erythrocyte is the most important blood element in the pathophysiology of this process. The exact mechanism by which the blood vessel is forced into this destructive spasm remains to be elucidated. Significant steps have been taken to avoid the consequences of vasospasm by using hypertension and hypervolemia (or at the very least avoiding iatrogenic hypotension and hypovolemia). These measures have resulted in a reduced incidence of delayed ischemia. Because clot has been shown to cause vasospasm, it has seemed only logical that the early removal of clot would be efficacious in its prophylaxis. Experimental and clinical evidence to support this view has been gathered. Therapeutic measures based on it have been shown to be effective in the experimental situation but await controlled clinical evaluation. In the past decade, thanks to such trials, one of the calcium antagonist drugs has been shown to be effective in improving the outcome following subarachnoid hemorrhage, probably on the basis of reducing the frequency and extent of infarction by small vessel dilatation or neuronal protection. Although patients still die from this lethal complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage, it is difficult not to have some measure of optimism, based on the history just reviewed, that cerebral vasospasm will be a treatable disease within a few decades.
Weir
B
B
Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, Canada.
D000818:Animals; D005060:Europe; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States