Angiographic investigation of cerebral vasospasm in subarachnoid haemorrhage due to arteriovenous malformation.

Fifty (50) selected patients with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with and without subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) were investigated, in respect of occurrence and course of the vasospasm. The diameters of the carotid siphon and its main branches were measured and plotted against the time elapsing between the haemorrhage and the angiographic study. Patients without SAH were used as a reference group. The results suggest intracranial arterial spasm to occur between the third and eleventh day after the onset of SAH. Patients with intracerebral haematoma may show vasospasm from the first day onwards. It seems that the radiologically demonstrated spasm in AVM had no impact on the clinical outcome in this series.