[Endovascular occlusion and percutaneous treatment of vasospasm]

Current available minimal invasive endovascular technology allows for percutaneous treatment of cerebral aneurysms and of vasospasm, the associated disease fo cerebral arteries secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Multicentric evaluation of standardized treatment techniques using platinum coils have shown that a high success rate is now obtained for certain forms of aneurysms, mostly those which have a small base (4 mm or less) of implantation of the vessel. Treatment of arterial vasospasm by techniques including angioplasty using soft silicon balloons, or intraarterial application of spasmolytics, or both may be very successful, when performed prior to establishment of irreversible ischemic damage to the brain tissue. An intensive patient monitoring during the posthemorrhagic period is therefore critical for the correct timing of such a procedures.