Chronic hydrocephalus that requires shunting in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage [a-SAH]: its impact on clinical outcome.
BACKGROUND
Chronic hydrocephalus is a common occurrence following aneurismal subarachnoid haemorrhage [a-SAH] but its impact on neurological outcome has not been re reviewed systematically.


METHODS
One hundred and eleven patients were recruited from a prospectively collected a-SAH registry over a 3-year period between 2002 and 2004. Their 6-month extended Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOSE] scores were correlated with routine clinical data and the need for CSF shunting [chronic hydrocephalus that required shunting, CHS].


RESULTS
Thirty patients with CHS were identified and they were associated with an initial poor WFNS grading [median 4 versus 2, p = 0.028]. Among patients with poor WFNS grading, CHS was associated with a better GOSE [median 4 versus 2, p = 0.041] and among patients with good WFNS grading, CHS paradoxically was associated with a poor GOSE [median 3.5 versus 7, p = 0.016].


CONCLUSIONS
The relationships between CHS and GOSE in a-SAH were complex. Their true clinical significance requires a more in-depth prospective study.
Poon
W S
WS
Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. wpoon@cuhk.edu.hk
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S C P
SC
Wong
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Wong
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Chan
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MT
D000368:Aged; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome