Changes of intracranial pressure during the rupture of intracranial aneurysms: prognosis for survival.
The intracranial pressure at the time of rebleeding from an intracranial aneurysm was recorded in 4 patients who were undergoing conservative treatment pending clinical improvement. Two died of severe hemorrhages and the remaining two recovered. In the deceased patients, repeated rapid increases in the intracranial pressure in a short time caused by rupture of the intracranial aneurysm were observed. In the surviving patients, the intracranial pressure increased only once, owing to the rupture of the intracranial aneurysm. We suggest that sudden death following the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm may result from frequent, repeated bleeding causing an intracerebral hematoma or severe brain swelling, or both.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology