Cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism in postoperative cerebral vasospasm and treatment with hypertensive therapy.

A 24-year-old woman developed subarachnoid hemorrhage from an aneurysm at the bifurcation of the right internal carotid artery. Following successful clipping of the aneurysm she developed a left hemiplegia associated with focal cerebral vasospasm, which markedly improved when systemic blood pressure was raised with intravenous dopamine infusion. Regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen utilization were significantly depressed in both cerebral hemispheres, while blood volume was significantly elevated only on the side with vasospasm. Oxygen extraction was significantly elevated in both hemispheres, indicating a generalized impairment in oxygen delivery to the brain.