[Spasm of intracranial arteries or spastic syndrome in ruptured cerebral aneurysm?]

Abstract

Cerebral vasospasm is the most serious complication of intracranial hemorrhage rupture. For example, the resulting neurological deficits affect more than 30 thousand patients in North America. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is accompanied by the release of more than 50 endogenous substances, most possessing vasoconstrictory activities. There are many theories explaining the pathogenesis of vasospasm following SAH. The most popular is the theory of direct vasoconstrictory activity of releasing substances on a vessel wall. The other one describes the narrowing of vessel lumen as a result of angiopathic process. The other theories include the vasoactive, neurotoxic and ++immuno-aggressive concepts of neurological deficit in following aneurysm rupture. The relationship between the vasospasm and the neurological deficit is also discussed.