Bengt Ljunggren

Causes of Unfavorable Outcome after Early Aneurysm Operation

In a consecutive series of 160 patients in Hunt and Hess Neurological Grades I to III who were operated upon for a ruptured supratentorial aneurysm within 3 days after the hemorrhage, 42 patients (26%) had an unfavorable outcome. Delayed ischemic cerebral dysfunction with permanent deficit accounted for the unfavorable outcome in 18 patients (43% of all unfavorable results or 11% of the total series), whereas the unfavorable outcome was due to deficit ascribed to surgical trauma in 11 patients (26% of all unfavorable results or 7% of the total series) and to the initial hemorrhage in 7 patients (17% of all unfavorable results or 4% of the total series). Impaired outflow of cerebrospinal fluid with shunt dependency occurred in 3% of the total series. Of the patients with an unfavorable outcome, 17 (40%) had had arterial hypertension before the hemorrhage. The incidence of unfavorable outcome in good grade patients (Grades I and II) was not influenced by timing of operation (Day 1, 2, or 3 after hemorrhage). The results favor the opinion that it is principally the patients condition during the acute stage that determines the outcome. (Neurosurgery 13:629-633, 1983).

Cognition and Adjustment after Late and Early Operation for Ruptured Aneurysm

Does early aneurysm operation, while lowering the overall management mortality, result in an unacceptable morbidity in terms of increased cognitive disturbances and psychosocial maladjustment? The present study evaluates quality of life, degree of cognitive dysfunction, and adjustment of 93 patients with satisfactory neurological recoveries after operations for ruptured supratentorial aneurysms. All patients had been in neurological Grades I to III (Hunt and Hess) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Fifty-five patients were operated upon during the acute state, i.e., within 72 hours after bleeding (early surgery = ES), and 38 patients had been subjected to late surgery (LS), i.e., were operated on 9 days or more after SAH. Each patient was subjected to a clinical interview and a comprehensive neuropsychological investigation. The time interval between SAH and assessment varied between 12 and 103 months (mean, 56 months). The results confirm that there are indication of cognitive malfunctioning and psychosocial disturbances of varying severity and distribution in patients who have undergone LS. The pattern and distribution of sequelae after LS did not differ substantially from that in patients subjected to ES. The results offer strong support to the concept that remaining disturbances in cognition are mainly related to the impact of the initial hemorrhage per se. In patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysms, a larger decrease in tempo and perceptual vigilance was noted, suggesting that the subfrontal midline structures are particularly involved in processes demanding flexibility, attention, and capacity to adapt to novel demands in a perceptual situation.

Reduction of rheumatoid periodontoid pannus following posterior occipito-cervical fusion visualised by magnetic resonance imaging.

Nine patients (four females and five males) with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and atlanto-axial (AA) instability subjected to occipito-cervical fusion were evaluated clinically and radiologically. All of them had soft tissue formation (pannus) around the odontoid peg. The age ranged from 50 to 79 years (mean: 66). The duration of the RA disease was 3-48 years (mean: 18.5). All patients were seropositive. Both conventional radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) were performed pre- and postoperatively. All fusions except one were stable. One patient was re-fused after 2 months because of wire break. With regard to pain all patients had improved and eight were pain free. Six patients who experienced signs of myelopathy prior to the fusion had improved at follow up. MR revealed reduction of pannus in all nine cases. This was obvious in one patient within 6 weeks postoperatively. The MR findings of a reduction or even disappearance of pannus following posterior fusion should decrease the need for transoral surgery.

Delayed Ischemic Deterioration in Patients with Early Aneurysm Operation and Intravenous Nimodipine

A consecutive series of 100 individuals with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were subjected to early aneurysm operation followed by subsequent intravenous administration of the calcium antagonist nimodipine during the critical period for symptomatic vasospasm. A total of 85 patients were in Hunt and Hess neurological Grades I through III, and 15 were in Grade IV or V before operation. In 39 individuals the aneurysm was located in the anterior cerebral artery complex (ACA), in 29 it originated from the internal carotid artery complex (ICA), and in 32 individuals the ruptured aneurysm arose from the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Of the patients, 71% made a good neurological recovery; the morbidity was 22%, and the mortality was 7%. Of the Grade I-III patients, 79% made a good neurological recovery, and the mortality was 6%. Delayed ischemic cerebral deterioration with permanent dysfunction occurred in five patients, all with ruptured ACA aneurysms. No single patient in the ICA or MCA populations developed delayed ischemic deterioration with fixed neurological deficit despite the presence of several potential risk factors, especially among the MCA aneurysm patients.

Temporary clipping during early operation for ruptured aneurysm: preliminary report.

Temporary arterial occlusion was performed in 16 patients undergoing early aneurysm operation. Ten patients had a ruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm, and 6 had a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Premature aneurysm rupture during operation necessitated temporary arterial occlusion in 10 patients. In 5 patients, temporary arterial occlusion was performed to facilitate dissection of the aneurysm. In 1 patient with a large MCA aneurysm, temporary occlusion was performed to provoke collapse of the completely exposed aneurysm sac, thus making clipping of the base possible. The results do not indicate that temporary occlusion by the standard aneurysm clips now in general use leads to angiographically detectable arterial wall changes or increased thromboembolic complications. Temporary clipping of the MCA proximal to the perforating arteries may be well tolerated for up to 20 minutes during early aneurysm operation. Temporary occlusion of one or both anterior cerebral arteries or temporary pericallosal clipping need not unconditionally lead to disastrous consequences if rendered necessary during aneurysm operations performed in the acute stage.

Ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm with intracerebral hemorrhage in younger patients appearing moribund: emergency operation?

Four women, aged 39 to 46 years, were urgently admitted to our neurosurgical unit after strokes. On admission, all appeared moribund, presenting with deep coma, pupils bilaterally dilated and fixed, decerebrate posture, and markedly abnormal respiratory patterns. Computed tomography revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage with an associated large intracerebral hematoma and pronounced shift of midline structures in all four cases. Because of the clinical appearance, the patients were given urea and were operated without preceding angiography. The origin of the hemorrhage was identified as a middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation berry aneurysm in one patient and giant MCA aneurysms in the other three. The hematomas were evacuated, and the aneurysms were occluded. All four patients received intravenous nimodipine, none showed any sign of delayed ischemic deterioration, and all regained full consciousness within a few days. One patient died 3 weeks later from a pulmonary embolus. Three patients are presently at home with moderate focal neurological deficits and moderate to marked cognitive impairment. The psychosocial readjustment was very good in a patient with a left giant aneurysm, satisfactory in a patient with a right giant aneurysm, and unsatisfactory in a patient with a right berry aneurysm. The indications, ethical considerations, and technical aspects of operating on seemingly moribund patients who probably harbor a ruptured MCA aneurysm are discussed.

Early management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The Lund Clinic serves a population of 1.46 million inhabitants. During the calendar year 1981, 72 patients presented with a ruptured supratentorial aneurysm, diagnosed either at angiography or at autopsy. Upon admission, 60% of the patients were in good condition and 40% were in poor condition. Eighty-three per cent were admitted within 72 hours after the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In the total series, 50% made a good recovery; the overall management morbidity was 19% and the management mortality was 31%. Thirty-one patients in Grades I-III underwent early operation (43% of the total series), with a favorable outcome in 74% and 7% mortality. Of the 35 patients who were admitted early and in good condition, 71% made a good recovery, and the management mortality was 9%. These figures may be compared to the 51% favorable outcome and 27% mortality reported from the Cooperative Aneurysm Study with late operation. In the early operation cases, the incidence of significant arterial narrowing at postoperative angiography performed on Day 9 +/- 2 after SAH was 30% and the incidence of permanent neurological deficits of delayed onset was 10%. Two of the early operation patients developed permanent symptomatic hydrocephalus.

Prediction and Prevention of Delayed Ischemic Dysfunction after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Early Operation

Mean hemispheric cerebral blood flow (CBF) was studied after the intravenous administration of xenon-133 in 20 anesthetized patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Before early aneurysm operation, repeated CBF measurements were made to evaluate the cerebral vascular reactivity to controlled hyperventilation. Thirteen individuals received intravenous treatment with the calcium channel blocker nimodipine, whereas the other seven patients did not receive such specific antiischemic treatment. Five of the latter patients had an impaired CO2 response, and three showed delayed ischemic deterioration (DID), whereas none of the seven nimodipine-treated patients with impaired CO2 response showed DID. One nimodipine-treated patient with a preserved CO2 response, in whom operation was complicated, developed DID. The observed findings indicate that DID after uncomplicated early aneurysm operation may be associated with an early disturbance of cerebral vasoreactivity. Treatment with nimodipine may counteract the development of DID in patients with an impaired CBF CO2 response.

Simultaneous transcranial Doppler sonography and cerebral blood flow measurements of cerebrovascular CO2-reactivity in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) flow velocities and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements were evaluated in 14 patients who had suffered a major aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Cerebrovascular reactivity to hypocapnia was evaluated simultaneously by the two methods. The measurements were performed under general anaesthesia preoperatively, within 72 hours after the bleed, during normocapnia and hypocapnia. There was poor correlation between absolute values of hemispheric CBF and corresponding TCD mean flow velocity. Controlled hyperventilation was associated with a significant decrease in CBF as well as TCD flow velocity (p less than 0.001). In terms of reactivity indices the correlation between the two methods was poor and not significant (r = 0.33, p = 0.09). The principal differences between the methods are discussed as well as the application of TCD in the evaluation of cerebrovascular reactivity.

Early aneurysm surgery and preventive therapy with intravenously administered nimodipine: a multicenter, double-blind, dose-comparison study

A European, multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, dose-comparison study on preventive therapy with intravenously administered nimodipine was performed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of two different doses: 2 and 3 mg/h. Two hundred four patients fulfilled the criteria for enrollment in the study: surgery within 72 hours after the last subarachnoid hemorrhage, and age between 16 and 72 years. All patients who had Hunt and Hess grades of I to III were operated upon; patients who had poor Hunt and Hess grades (IV-V) were operated on according to the surgeons choice. This treatment regimen was associated with a low incidence of delayed neurological dysfunction with no significant difference between the two dosage groups: three patients (1.5%) remained severely disabled and two (1%) moderately disabled due to vasospasm with or without additional complications. Among the patients with Hunt and Hess grades of IV or V, the long-term outcome was favorable (good-fair) for 40% and unfavorable for 60%. Among the patients with grades of I to III, the long-term outcome was favorable for 89% and unfavorable for 11%.