title: Impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of intracranial aneurysm rupture: myth or reality?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the impact of the lunar cycle and season on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 111 patients who were admitted over a 5-year period to our department because of aneurysmal SAH were retrospectively reviewed. The date of aneurysm rupture was matched with the corresponding season and moon phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An incidence peak for aneurysm rupture (28 patients) was seen during the phase of new moon, which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In contrast, no seasonal variation in the incidence of SAH was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lunar cycle seems to affect the incidence of intracranial aneurysm rupture, with the new moon being associated with an increased risk of aneurysmal SAH.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Saint-Joseph University and Hôtel-Dieu de France, Ashrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Youssef
authors: Y
authors: Ali
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Rahme
authors: Nayla
authors: N
authors: Matar
authors: Ibrahim
authors: I
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Lina
authors: L
authors: Menassa-Moussa
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Maarrawi
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Rizk
authors: Georges
authors: G
authors: Nohra
authors: Nabil
authors: N
authors: Okais
authors: Elie
authors: E
authors: Samaha
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Moussa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D005495:Folklore; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016081:Moon; D010507:Periodicity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons