Results of early surgical evacuation of packed intraventricular hemorrhage from aneurysm rupture in patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to evaluate the results of early surgical evacuation of "packed" intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).


METHODS
The authors performed surgery within 24 hours after onset of SAH, identified on neuroimaging as a cast distending the ventricular system, in 74 patients with poor-grade SAH (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grades IV and V) without intracerebral hemorrhage. Eighteen of these patients had packed IVH; in these patients the intraventricular clots were extensively evacuated via frontal corticotomy performed under microscopic view.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, 42% of the 74 patients undergoing craniotomy in the acute stage had favorable outcomes, whereas 30% died. Using multivariate analysis, variables significantly associated with favorable outcome in patients with poor-grade SAH included absence of a packed intraventricular clot on computerized tomography scanning; absence of a history of cardiac disease; and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 11 or 12. None of the 18 patients who had packed IVH had favorable outcomes and seven of these died. In six recently treated patients with packed IVH, which was examined using fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, extensive periventricular brain damage was found both immediately after surgery and during the chronic stage. Accordingly, the authors believe that irreversible periventricular brain damage is already complete immediately after packed IVH occurs.
Shimoda
M
M
Department of Neurosurgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
Oda
S
S
Shibata
M
M
Tominaga
J
J
Kittaka
M
M
Tsugane
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome