Abstract
The roles of remaining blood in the convexity following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the mechanism of delayed cerebral vasospasm (VS) and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) were analyzed in 83 patients with aneurysmal SAH. Examinations by X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) were performed 5 times (on admission, postoperatively, and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after the onset), and the severity of the remaining SAH in the convexity was classified into 4 groups according to the X-CT findings. The remaining SAH decreased significantly with the time course. However, in elderly patients, exclusion of SAH was delayed and the grade was significantly worse than in the younger patients. Delayed exclusion of SAH was also observed in patients with VS and with NPH. This suggests that remaining SAH in the convexity may be involved in the mechanism of VS and NPH. Furthermore, exclusion of the SAH might be influenced by the age of the patient.
