Management of Poor-grade Patients with Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm

ABSTRACT

To formulate treatment strategies for poor-grade patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH), medical records were analyzed for 166 patients who were in Hunt and Hess grade IV or V among 588 consecutive aneurysmal SAH patients admitted during the past 5 years. Causes for unfavorable outcome(poor or dead) in these 166 patients were carefully evaluated to improve the management outcome. Overall management results were favorable(good or fair) in 71(42.8%), and unfavorable in 95(78 dead, 17 poor). Direct clipping was performed in 90 patients, and the surgical results were favorable in 69(76.7%) and unfavorable in 21(23.3%). Surgery was not performed in 76 patients because of moribund state on arrival in 41, neurological deterioration due to rebleeding in 15, massive brain swelling in seven, serious medical illness in five, severe delayed ischemic deficit in one, and massive cerebral infarction following angiography in one, and refused surgery in six. Seven patients survived from non-surgery group(2 fair, 5 poor). Direct effects of aneurysm rupture(34.8%) and early rebleeding(34.8%) were the causes of unfavorable outcome in grade IV patients, while it was direct effect of aneurysm rupture(91.8%) in grade V patients. It is suggested that since rebleeding is the only preventable factor of unfavorable outcome, urgent management seems necessary to prevent rebleeding, especially for grade IV patients. Grade IV patients should be treated aggressively with direct clipping for non-complex aneurysms or for patients with hematoma, and with coil embolization for complex aneurysms without hematoma.