Occurrence of severe vasospasm following intraventricular hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation. Report of two cases.

The authors present two rare cases of severe cerebral vasospasm following the rupture of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Computerized tomography revealed intracerebral hemorrhage in the thalamus in one case and in the putamen in the other, both accompanied by cast formation of intraventricular clots without radiological evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Initial angiograms showed arterial narrowing of the bilateral internal carotid arteries in the supraclinoid portion but failed to demonstrate an arteriovenous shunt. Subsequent angiograms clearly demonstrated the existence of an AVM. Radiological features and possible mechanisms are discussed.