Calcium antagonists are currently most widely used for chronic cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). However, the vasodilatory effects of systemically administered calcium antagonists can be limited secondary to hypotension. We previously compared intrathecal and intravenous routes of administration of nicardipine. Intrathecal administration of nicardipine significantly dilated spastic basilar arteries on day 7 in a two-haemorrhage canine model of vasospasm. In the present communication, the effects of prophylactic, serial administration of intrathecal nicardipine on vasospasm was examined in 50 patients. Patients were classified as Fisher SAH group 3 and all had their aneurysms clipped within 3 days of SAH. Following placement of a cisternal drain, 2 mg of nicardipine was injected, three times each day for an average of 10 days. The control group consisted of 91 similar patients with cisternal drainage not treated with nicardipine. Intrathecal administration of nicardipine decreased the incidence of symptomatic vasospasm by 26%, angiographic vasospasm by 20% and increased good clinical outcome at one month after the haemorrhage by 15%. Postoperative angiograms revealed that patients in the nicardipine group showed less vasospasm of major cerebral arteries, near the tip of a drain in the basal cistern, but vasospasm in the A2 and M2 segments was not decreased. Radio-isotope cisternography suggested that nicardipine might not reach the subarachnoid space around A2 and M2 segments. Nine patients complained of headache probably secondary to nicardipine induced vasodilation. Two patients suffered from meningitis, both were successfully treated. Intrathecal administration nicardipine appears to be effective in the treatment of vasospasm, but side effects were significant.
The transcylinder approach could be advantageous for removing tumours or haematomas in the intraventricular or intraparenchymal regions. By avoiding unnecessary retraction, it significantly reduces the risk of injury to surrounding brain tissue while facilitating precise microsurgical technique. The accuracy of this minimally invasive technique can be enhanced when used in conjunction with frameless stereotaxy and intra-operative ultrasound guidance.
The levels of two calcium-binding proteins, S-100 protein and calmodulin, were measured serially in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and aneurysm surgery. These two proteins have a similar molecular structure and are highly concentrated in the central nervous system (CNS). The levels of S-100 protein found in the earliest postoperative CSF samples correlated with the preoperative SAH grades. High S-100 protein levels in the CSF were found in patients with poor SAH grades. Moreover, the prognosis of the patients correlated with the S-100 protein levels in the CSF samples taken during the immediate postoperative period and with the daily changes of the S-100 protein levels. Severe diffuse cerebral vasospasm was followed by a sharp S-100 protein increase. These results suggest that S-100 protein levels in the CSF provide a useful index of organic damage in the CNS, and furthermore that S-100 protein levels and their changes may have prognostic value for patients after SAH. On the other hand, there was a lack of correlation between the calmodulin levels and the preoperative grade or outcome. It would be inappropriate, however, to speculate from the results of this study that these calcium-binding proteins in the CSF play any causative role in pathological processes such as cerebral vasospasm or brain ischemia after SAH, since changes in the levels of these proteins followed the onset of clinical signs of deterioration.
The effects of hypothermia and hyperthermia on the cerebral microcirculation were studied using isolated perfused intracerebral (parenchymal) arterioles obtained from rats. In a temperature-dependent manner, hypothermia (20.0 degrees to 35.0 degrees C) dilated the spontaneous tone developed by the arterioles and also diminished their contractile response to potassium and prostaglandin F2 alpha. In contrast, hyperthermia (40.0 degrees to 45.0 degrees C) induced a biphasic response consisting of initial vasoconstriction and secondary vasodilation. Exposure of the vessels to 45.0 degrees C for 30 minutes irreversibly abolished the spontaneous tone and responsiveness of the arterioles when the temperature of the preparation was returned to 37.5 degrees C. In calcium-free solutions, however, the arteriolar diameter was not affected within a temperature range of 20.0 degrees to 45 degrees C. Furthermore, arterioles that had been in a calcium-free solution during exposure to 45 degrees C temperature recovered their viability at 37.5 degrees C. These results suggest that changes in ambient temperature alter calcium-induced contraction in arteriolar smooth muscle, and that the irreversible effects of hyperthermia on the arterioles are dependent upon extracellular calcium. These studies indicate that alterations in brain temperature may affect the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia by mechanisms that are in part independent of parenchymal metabolism.
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