Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical predictors of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Methods: 102 patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms were treated (77 by clipping and 25 by coiling). 40 patients were male and 62 were female. Median age was 59 years (range 31-88). The modified Rankin Scale was used to assess functional outcomes 3 months after treatment or at discharge. The associations between potential clinical risk factors and DCI after SAH were assessed using the χ(2) test.
Results: 52 patients (51.0%) had a good outcome and 13 patients (12.7%) died despite treatment. DCI was observed in 26 patients and hydrocephalus was observed in 37 patients. There were marginal differences in clinical outcomes between the treatment groups (p=0.053), mainly because functional outcomes were significantly superior in the coiling group (p=0.04) in patients with severe SAH. DCI was seen less frequently in the coiling group than in the clipping group (4.0% vs 32.4%, p=0.001). The presence of hydrocephalus was significantly associated with the occurrence of DCI (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that the treatment modality and the presence of hydrocephalus were independent risk factors for DCI.
Conclusion: DCI was less frequently observed in the coiling group, and clinical outcomes were also superior in the coiling group, especially for patients with severe SAH. The results showed a significant correlation between DCI and hydrocephalus.